India's D2C fashion market is growing faster than most segments in Indian e-commerce. Brands that bypass aggregators like Myntra and Ajio — selling direct through their own Shopify or Dukaan stores — now face a different problem: standing out to a shopper who has dozens of options and no in-store way to evaluate fit.
AI virtual try-on is one of the tools that's changing this equation. Here's how Indian D2C brands are using it, and what's different about the Indian market context.
The Indian D2C Fashion Landscape
Indian D2C fashion is characterised by a few patterns that don't apply in Western markets:
Kurtas, ethnic wear, and fusion wear dominate. These garment types have proportionally higher fit uncertainty — a kurta's length relative to the shopper's height is often the deciding factor, and this is nearly impossible to predict from a product image alone.
Returns are expensive and complex. Reverse logistics in India are less developed than in the US or UK. Many D2C brands operate with single-city or regional courier networks. A return from a customer 800km away cuts deeply into already thin margins.
WhatsApp is a primary commerce channel. Indian shoppers share purchases, seek second opinions, and discover new brands on WhatsApp at rates that far exceed Western equivalents. A shareable try-on result is significantly more valuable in this context.
UPI and bank transfer are the payment methods of choice. Merchants and shoppers alike are more comfortable with UPI flows than international card payments — relevant for any tool that requires merchant purchase.
How Virtual Try-On Fits Indian D2C
The fit uncertainty problem — will this kurta be the right length for me?, how will this dress look on my body shape? — is especially acute in India's ethnic and fusion wear categories. Virtual try-on addresses this directly.
When a shopper on a D2C brand's Dukaan or WooCommerce store uploads a photo and sees themselves in the kurta they're considering, two things happen: their uncertainty decreases, and the brand's trust increases. This is disproportionately valuable for brands without the aggregator endorsement or the review volumes of a Myntra listing.
The WhatsApp sharing use case is particularly strong. A shopper who likes their try-on result and shares it with family or friends is effectively doing word-of-mouth marketing for the brand. Drape's share links include a "Shop this look" button back to the original product page, turning social shares into trackable traffic.
Setup for Indian D2C Brands
Most Indian D2C brands run on one of three platforms:
Dukaan — Paste the Drape script in Dukaan Admin → Appearance → Custom Code → Footer Code. The try-on button appears on all product pages automatically. No developer needed.
WooCommerce — Paste the script in the footer (via Insert Headers and Footers plugin or functions.php). Works with any WooCommerce theme that sets og:image via Yoast or RankMath.
Shopify — One-click install from the Shopify App Store. Drape adds the button automatically through a Theme App Extension.
All three setups take under 10 minutes and require no technical knowledge.
Pricing in INR
Drape's prepaid credit packs can be purchased via UPI or bank transfer (NEFT/IMPS) — no international card or PayPal account needed. Credit packs start from 100 try-ons and scale in volume:
- 100–499 try-ons: $0.10 each (billed in INR equivalent)
- 500–1,999 try-ons: $0.08 each
- 2,000+ try-ons: $0.06 each
Credits never expire. After payment, contact support with a screenshot and credits are added within 24 hours.
What Indian D2C Brands Should Expect
The results will vary by product category and brand, but the pattern is consistent: conversion confidence increases most on products with high aesthetic uncertainty. For Indian D2C brands, this means:
- Ethnic wear (kurtas, salwar suits, lehengas) — highest impact
- Fusion/contemporary (dresses, co-ords, western tops) — strong impact
- Accessories and jewellery — not currently supported
Brands selling across these categories typically see the strongest ROI on their ethnic wear catalogue first, then expand.
Add virtual try-on to your Dukaan or WooCommerce store with 10 free try-ons included. Set up for Dukaan → or set up for WooCommerce →.