How NRIs Can Own a US Ecommerce Business
You do not need to live in the US, or hold a green card, to own a US ecommerce business. NRIs and Indian residents can form a US company and own an Amazon and Walmart operation. Here is the ownership path and the practical points that trip people up.
An NRI or Indian resident can own a US LLC, get an EIN without an SSN, open US business banking, and run Amazon and Walmart, all from India. The ownership and setup are well-trodden; the harder part is operations, which is why many pair ownership with a US-based operator and warehouse. Note LRS and tax rules on both sides; take professional advice.
What's in this guide
You can own without living in the US
US LLCs can be owned by non-residents. You do not need US residency, citizenship or a visa to own the company or its Amazon and Walmart accounts. Plenty of Indian owners run US ecommerce businesses entirely from India.
The formation path
The setup is: form a US LLC, get an EIN without an SSN, and be ready to import under that entity. These are established steps, see US LLC for Indian sellers, EIN without SSN, and which state to choose.
Banking and getting paid
You open US business banking for the LLC so marketplace payouts land in dollars, see opening a US bank account from India. This is where profit accumulates before it is distributed to you.
Sending money out and in
Funding the business from India follows the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), and profits repatriated back have tax implications in both countries. This is the part to get professional advice on, see taxes for Indian sellers. Rules change; confirm current limits with an advisor.
The operations gap
Ownership is the easy part. The gap is operations: importing, prep (since Amazon stopped prepping in 2026), warehousing, fulfillment and account health, all happening in the US while you are in India. This is what stalls most first-time owners.
Owning without running it
The practical answer for most NRIs is to own the business and pair it with a US operator and warehouse that handle the ground work, so distance is not a barrier. To see how that is structured, read how it works or book a call.