How to start a gift hamper business from home: sourcing, GST on mixed hampers, packing and corporate orders

To start a gift hamper business from home, choose a few hamper themes, source items in bulk from wholesalers, price every hamper from its full cost, pack it beautifully without banned plastic, and plan early for Diwali, weddings and corporate orders. Get the tax right: a hamper sold for one price is a mixed supply under GST, taxed at the highest rate of any item inside it.

A gift hamper is a curated set of items, such as sweets, dry fruits, chocolates, candles or skincare, packed together as one gift and sold for one price. This guide covers themes, sourcing, pricing, GST, packing and finding bulk buyers.

Step 1: Choose your themes

Start with two or three themes at three price points. Customers find it easier to choose from a short list.

Step 2: Source items in bulk

• Wholesale markets and distributors for dry fruits, chocolates and packaging.
• Local makers for candles, soaps, pottery and handmade items that make your hampers different.
• Food items only from suppliers with FSSAI numbers and clear expiry dates.
• Packaging suppliers for baskets, boxes, tissue, shred and ribbons.
• Order samples first, check quality, then buy in bulk before festivals.

Step 3: Get the GST right

This is the step that is easiest to get wrong.

The CGST Act defines a mixed supply as two or more items supplied together for a single price where they are not naturally bundled. Its own illustration is a package of canned foods, sweets, chocolates, cakes, dry fruits, aerated drinks and fruit juices supplied for a single price, which it says is a mixed supply; if the items are supplied separately, it is not (CBIC). Section 8 says a mixed supply is taxed at the rate of the item that attracts the highest rate (CBIC).

Rates for common hamper items under the schedule in force from 22 September 2025 (CMA Knowledge):

Example: A hamper of chocolates, dry fruits and a candle, with a taxable value of ₹1,000, is all 5%: GST is ₹50. Add a decorative glass jar and sell everything for one price, and the whole hamper can be taxed at 18%: GST is ₹180.

Ask your accountant how to treat your hampers, especially if you include decorative items. If you are below the GST threshold and sell only in your state, see how to sell online without GST.

Step 4: Follow the food and packing rules

• FSSAI registration if your hampers contain food; see FSSAI registration for a home food business.
• Legal Metrology declarations on pre-packed hampers, such as the packer's name and address, net quantity, MRP inclusive of all taxes and consumer care details, and the same details on your website (S.S. Rana).
• No banned plastic: the national ban includes plastic wrapping or packing film around sweet boxes and polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration (PIB).

Step 5: Price each hamper from its full cost

Worked example for a ₹1,499 festive hamper (seller not registered for GST):

Price in clear tiers, such as ₹999, ₹1,499 and ₹2,499, and keep the contents of each tier fixed so photos match what arrives. Our guide on pricing your products explains margins.

Step 6: Pack it beautifully

Presentation is most of what a hamper is.

• Paper shred to fill gaps and hold items upright.
• Heavier items at the back and bottom, small items in front.
• Paper, cloth or jute wrapping instead of plastic film.
• A handwritten or printed message card.
• A sturdy outer box for delivery so the basket arrives undamaged.

Take photos of every finished hamper and send one to the buyer before dispatch.

Step 7: Deliver on the right day

• Let customers choose a delivery date and add a gift message at checkout.
• Local delivery with your own partner for same-day orders.
• Courier for other cities; pack for knocks and heat (chocolates melt). See shipping products across India.
• Bulk orders to many addresses: collect a spreadsheet of names, addresses and phone numbers from the client.

Step 8: Win festival and corporate orders

Festivals drive big hamper sales. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimated Diwali 2025 trade at ₹6.05 lakh crore, and listed gift items at 7% of festive sales (CAIT). This is a trade-body estimate, not government data, but it shows the scale of festive gifting.

For corporate clients:

• A one-page catalogue with three hamper tiers and photos.
• Samples for the person who decides.
• GST invoices if the company needs them (you need to be registered).
• Branding: a sticker or card with the company's logo.
• Delivery to many addresses with a tracking sheet.
• Start 6 to 8 weeks before Diwali: companies decide early.

Our Diwali marketing ideas for small business cover festive promotion, and the flower and bouquet business guide shows how flowers can join your combos.

Mistakes to avoid

One decorative item at 18% in a 5% hamper. It can raise the tax on the whole hamper.

Food without FSSAI numbers. Buy only from registered suppliers.

Plastic film around sweet boxes and thermocol decorations. Both are banned, and customers notice.

Hamper photos that do not match what arrives. Fix the contents per tier.

Starting corporate outreach in Diwali week. By then the orders are placed.

Your gift hamper checklist

• Two or three themes at three price points
• Bulk suppliers and local makers; food from FSSAI-registered sources
• GST treatment of each hamper checked with your accountant
• FSSAI registration if hampers include food
• Legal Metrology details on pre-packed hampers and on your website
• Paper, cloth and jute packing; no plastic film around sweet boxes and no thermocol decorations
• Every hamper priced from its full cost; fixed contents per tier
• Corporate catalogue and samples ready 6 to 8 weeks before Diwali

How Zepio helps

With Zepio you sell hampers from your own website and app, with 0% commission on your sales. Group hampers into collections by occasion and price, add a gift message at checkout and a delivery date with custom checkout fields, and deliver with your own team or courier partners. Set the HSN code and tax per product once you are registered for GST, and send customers a push notification when your Diwali collection goes live.

Good items, honest prices, the right tax and beautiful packing. Get those right and one festive season can bring customers who order every year.