From site survey and real estate to staffing, compliance, IT, and your first delivery, one partner owns every workstream. You focus on growth. We build the operation.
Quick commerce is no longer a trend, it's the dominant channel. And every order placed on every platform runs through a dark store. This is the infrastructure race of the decade.
Eight end-to-end service pillars, all under one roof. No vendor coordination, no responsibility gaps. You brief us once, we deliver everything.
One setup process. Any platform. We handle the onboarding, compliance, and tech integration, for whichever platform you choose, or all of them at once.
We can set up and operationalise the same dark store location across multiple platforms at once, maximising asset utilisation and revenue per square foot. Multi-platform is the new default for serious operators.
A battle-tested playbook engineered for speed, without cutting corners on compliance or build quality.
From store floor to last mile, we source, verify, and platform-SOP-train every team member your dark store needs to hit its SLAs from day one.
We don't just hire delivery riders, we hand them the keys to a properly maintained, insured, GPS-tracked electric two-wheeler on day one.
Every other approach requires you to manage 8 vendors simultaneously. We are the one vendor who manages all 8 workstreams, and owns every outcome.
Setting up a dark store without us means managing eight separate vendors, coordinating timelines, and owning every gap between them.
| Capability | DIY (8 vendors) | OpenADarkStore |
|---|---|---|
| Location intelligence & survey | Separate consultant or guesswork | ✓ In-house, data-driven |
| Real estate negotiation & registration | Property broker (self-managed) | ✓ Full service, end-to-end |
| Store fit-out & cold chain | Contractor (separate vendor) | ✓ We project-manage everything |
| All licensing & compliance | CA + consultant (multiple) | ✓ All filings, all follow-ups |
| Ongoing compliance management | Usually missed / reactive | ✓ Monthly monitoring & renewal |
| WMS & platform API integration | IT vendor or platform's own team | ✓ We own the integration |
| In-store staff recruitment & training | Placement agency (separate) | ✓ SOP-trained before day one |
| Delivery rider recruitment | Another agency or self-hire | ✓ Verified & platform-trained |
| E2W fleet procurement & management | Not handled / self-sourced | ✓ OEM fleet pricing, fully managed |
| Multi-platform simultaneous setup | Near impossible to coordinate | ✓ We run parallel workstreams |
| Single point of accountability | None — everyone owns a piece | ✓ One team, one contract, one owner |
| Time to first delivery | 90–180 days (typical) | ✓ 30 days |
Whether you're a platform expanding your network, an investor deploying capital, or an entrepreneur entering the sector, we have a solution shaped for you.
Understanding the mechanics helps you understand why every element of our setup service exists and why shortcuts cost you revenue.
No surprises. A typical dark store requires ₹80L - ₹90L to operationalise from scratch. Here's precisely where every rupee goes, and how we help you deploy it efficiently.
| Investment component | What's included | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Store fit-out capex | Racks, shelving, freezers, chillers, CCTV, IT infra, broadband | ₹25L – ₹35L |
| Opening inventory | Initial 6,000+ SKU stock across all categories | ₹30L – ₹35L |
| Rental deposit | 3–6 months security deposit depending on city & location | ₹10L – ₹15L |
| Licensing & compliance | FSSAI, trade licence, GST, fire NOC, S&E, labour regs | ₹1L – ₹2L |
| WMS & IT integration | Platform API setup, WMS deployment, device procurement | ₹2L – ₹4L |
| Staffing (first month) | Store manager, 4–6 pickers/packers, supervisors | ₹3L – ₹5L |
| E2W fleet setup | 4–8 electric two-wheelers (own or leased) + insurance | ₹6L – ₹12L |
| Total to operationalise | Site selection, setup, staffing, fleet, compliance & go-live | ₹80L – ₹90L |
Based on JM Financial research and industry benchmarks. Figures are for a standard 2,500–4,000 sq. ft. dark store in a Tier-I city. Tier-II cities typically run 15–25% lower on real estate costs. Rental rates vary significantly by city and micro-location.
Every KPI below is a target we engineer into your store from day one, through layout design, inventory slotting, tech integration, and staff training.
Source: JM Financial Research, 3QFY24 data. A mature, well-laid-out dark store generates nearly twice the GMV per square foot of India's most efficient brick-and-mortar retailer — because every square foot is engineered for storage and pick efficiency, not customer experience. This is why our layout engineering service is not optional.
Dark store operations run on a deep technology stack. We integrate, configure, and train your team on every layer, so your store is operationally intelligent from the moment it goes live.
Tell us your target city and platform. We'll come back within 24 hours with a free preliminary location opportunity assessment, no cost, no obligation.
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