Robnu Research
Marketplace ops field reports
The Robnu research team publishes structured analyses of how Indian marketplaces actually deduct, settle, and process orders — and where the silent revenue loss hides in real seller workflows.
Written by Robnu Research
The 12 numbers that actually run a marketplace business
Order count and gross revenue are applause, not information. Here are the twelve ecommerce seller KPIs that actually run a marketplace business — each with the why, the formula, and an honest healthy band — plus the 20-minute weekly review that uses them.
Ten signs your marketplace business has outgrown manual operations
Nobody wakes up deciding they need an OMS; the business decides first and informs you through symptoms. Ten of them, each with the rupee-and-hours cost and the fix — and the two signs that mean you should act this week.
Selling on AJIO vs Meesho: economics, operations, and which to start with
Every AJIO vs Meesho seller debate ends the same way: it depends on your product and your price point. Here is the comparison that actually helps — economics, returns reality, and operational differences side by side, plus the case for running both with one OMS.
The minimal tech stack for an Indian marketplace seller in 2026
Most ecommerce seller tools lists are written by people selling tools. Here is the minimal stack that actually runs an AJIO + Meesho business at 5–25 orders/day — four layers, mostly free — and the long list of software you should not buy yet.
Marketplace SLA penalties: how they work and how to never pay one
SLA penalties are the one deduction category where evidence doesn't help you: the timestamp is the verdict. This guide maps the breach types on AJIO and Meesho, why they cluster on predictable days, and the prevention rituals — plus a watchdog — that make them a non-event.
What is a normal return rate? Honest benchmarks for Indian fashion sellers
Every seller wants one number: 'is my return rate normal?' The honest answer is a set of bands, not a number — and most sellers can't even compare against them because they measure the rate wrong. Here are the bands, the COD effect, and the formula.
AJIO return charges explained: what each return really costs you
A returned AJIO order doesn't cost you one fee — it costs you a stack of them, spread across settlement lines that never appear side by side. Here is the full cost anatomy of a return, the monthly leak it adds up to, and which slices you can actually get back.
TDS, TCS and GST for marketplace sellers: what is actually deducted
Three tax lines ride on every marketplace settlement — income-tax TDS under 194-O, GST TCS, and GST charged on fees. None of them is money lost, but all of them become money lost if you never claim them. The decode, plus the monthly reclaim ritual.
How to read an AJIO settlement statement, line by line
The AJIO settlement statement is where your real margin gets decided — commission, logistics, GST on fees, penalties, tax lines, return reversals. This guide decodes every column and lists the six errors worth checking for every single cycle.
The Meesho payment cycle, explained to the rupee
Meesho credits your bank roughly a week after delivery — but the amount almost never matches the panel's sale figure. Here's how the payment cycle actually runs, what gets deducted on the way, and how to read the payment advice line by line.
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