We live in a world where borders blur online, but barriers persist while conducting cross-border businesses. Indian brands have huge potential to grow via e-commerce, but they lack proper support and an integrated platform that can consider all their needs in one go. DistaGlobal emerges as the bridge connecting Indian innovation to global opportunity. What began as a quest to make authentic Indian products easily accessible to global consumers has evolved into a transformative ecosystem empowering Indian D2C brands to expand worldwide.
DistaGlobal’s technology and systems are built on a foundation of real-world experience. The systems were first developed to power its own marketplace that processes thousands of cross-border orders every week across 40+ countries. Every process, from compliance to shipping, has been tested, refined, and perfected through live operations. That’s what makes DistaGlobal’s solutions uniquely reliable: it is proven to work at scale before being opened to other brands.
In a freewheeling virtual conversation with our team, the co-founder and CEO of DistaGlobal, Kiran Kotla, shed light on the overall journey and global impact his brand has generated so far. This narrative is based on the excerpts of conversation held with him to cover the length and breadth of the organization.
The company profile
DistaGlobal connects Indian brands with consumers around the world by facilitating easy and legal international trade. The goal of DistaGlobal is straightforward: to give Indian brands the recognition and exposure they merit on a global scale. The platform provides a full end-to-end ecosystem designed to support Indian D2C brands through technology, compliance, logistics, payments, and marketing. Cross- border expansion is a hassle for any business. Due to the intricate global operations, regulations, and compliance, cross-border commerce for direct-to-consumer brands is exceedingly complex.
The common issues brands face while doing cross-border e-commerce, such as import/export compliance & duties, multi-currency handling, and topped with Indian RBI compliances, taxation, localized pricing, country- specific regulations and differences in consumer mindsets in each country. DistaGlobal addresses these challenges with a deep, firsthand understanding of how global e-commerce truly operates, shaped by the same systems and learnings that power its own international marketplace every day.
Today, they are proud to share their five years of experience and expertise in facilitating D2C cross- border commerce, 750,000+ international orders processed, and reach across 40+ countries. The biggest USP is the fact that brands can be taken global on all channels in hours, not days.
“At DistaGlobal, our vision has always been bigger than commerce. In an era when India has boldly entered the global arena, DistaGlobal is there to make sure that Indian brands follow suit, share their stories, highlight the diversity of Indian goods, and establish connections with consumers worldwide.”
The spark of inception
An extremely significant need sparked the adventure of inception. Kiran Kotla found it difficult to locate the reliable Indian products and variations he was accustomed to when he relocated to the United States. Even when they were available, they were either very costly or took weeks to arrive, frequently accompanied by additional duties and difficulties with customs.
Additionally, shipping goods from India via family wasn’t a viable option because it came with extra expenses, delays, and difficulties. As a result, Dista (www.distacart.com), DistaGlobal’s international marketplace, was developed to address two major customer issues. One is the availability of a large range of Indian brands and goods. Two, quicker shipping that spares the customer from paying extra tariffs and customs duties. DistaGlobal, which they take themselves to, is the result of what began as a means of serving customers. Now, they take the vision further by empowering Indian brands themselves to scale globally.
Over the years, the marketplace became more than a consumer platform. It became DistaGlobal’s live laboratory. Every order, every shipment, and every regulation shaped the systems that now power the platform. The tech that manages product compliance, global payments, logistics, and returns for Dista was built, tested, and refined in-house through real- world experience. This is what makes DistaGlobal’s infrastructure truly reliable. It’s not just built for brands; it’s built from the ground up by living through the same challenges brands face.
In order to give Indian goods and Indian-made brands the international exposure they merit, DistaGlobal now serves as the entry point for cross-border D2C commerce from India. It assists brands in opening international stores, integrating with marketplaces, managing logistics, and navigating compliance. The goal of DistaGlobal is to establish itself as the entry point for cross-border D2C from India, facilitating easy global customer outreach for all Indian brands, regardless of size.
It operates as a full-stack ecosystem that brings every element of global expansion together—helping brands open international stores, integrate with marketplaces, manage logistics, enable local payments, and stay compliant with global trade requirements. The leadership now aims to eliminate the conventional obstacles to global expansion, such as those related to payments, logistics, compliance, and customer experience, so that Indian companies can concentrate on creating excellent products while DistaGlobal handles the technical details and complexities.
The ultimate goal is to create the “Cross Border OS for India,” a unified system that gives Indian brands all the tools they need to sell internationally, from setting up foreign storefronts and real-time inventory management to handling tax compliance and expediting logistics. Making international sales as easy as domestic sales is the aim in order to establish Indian brands where they rightfully belong on the world stage.
With a single-click integration with the brand’s Indian website, DistaGlobal provides an end-to-end tech- enabled full-stack solution that enables an Indian brand to expand globally across all channels. As a fully done-for-you service with full accountability, liability, and responsibility, DistaGlobal can manage the brand’s international direct-to- consumer business with little to no involvement.
The USPs
With an end-to-end responsibility and a comprehensive ecosystem for cross-border D2C commerce, DistaGlobal sets itself apart in the industry so far. In contrast to other marketplaces or cross-border service providers, DistaGlobal integrates technology, payments, marketing, compliance, and logistics into a single solution, enabling Indian brands to sell internationally without the typical obstacles of global expertise, technology, and operations. As a result of its instant online stores, marketplace integrations, full product/catalog inventory sync, and AI-driven brand enablement, brands can expand globally while maintaining complete control over their first-party data and customer relationships.
Moreover, DistaGlobal’s extensive knowledge of international shipping, customs clearance, and regulatory compliance enables brands to grow swiftly and consistently- a combination of skills that no other cross-border player can match. Kiran elucidated that not only does DistGlobal enable the brands to go global in hours, handling complex operational hurdles of the cross-border commerce, but it also finds the markets for the products, and helps the brands identify and establish the right marketing mix for each country.
Operating across 40+ countries
DistaGlobal serves consumers across 40+ countries, ensuring that consumers worldwide have seamless access to authentic Indian products. Key markets include the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East, where demand for high-quality Indian goods is strong among both the diaspora and global shoppers seeking genuine Indian products. Meeting consumer needs is central to DistaGlobal’s approach.
DistaGlobal understands and adapts to regional consumer preferences by localizing product content, product availability, pricing, and marketing while offering multicurrency checkouts, flexible shipping options, and transparent delivery timelines. Its ecosystem handles customs clearance, regulatory compliance, and international logistics, providing a hassle-free experience for the consumer that ensures products arrive safely and on time. Beyond logistics and compliance, DistaGlobal leverages data-driven insights to help brands understand regional consumer demand patterns, identify emerging markets, and fine-tune product offerings.
DistaGlobal also uses the demand prediction data to help identify the products that can be stocked in various countries closer to the customer to enable faster fulfillment and lower costs. By anticipating consumer expectations, from product authenticity to timely delivery, DistaGlobal ensures that customers worldwide enjoy a shopping experience that feels as familiar and reliable as buying from a local store, while still offering access to India’s best D2C brands.
DistaX for the global growth of Indian D2C brands
DistaX is the omni-channel brand enablement arm of DistaGlobal that empowers Indian D2C brands to expand globally in hours- providing them with storefronts, marketplace integrations, compliance support, and end-to- end logistics, complemented by its AI-driven technology.
It enables Indian brands to:
1. Launch their global online store
a. Get their own website & app
b. One-click integration with their Indian website
c. Live inventory sync from their website or WMS
d. Localizing content, pricing & marketing
e. Seamless multicurrency checkout
2. Start selling in dozens of global marketplaces
a. One-click integration with their Indian website
b. Choosing marketplaces to list on
c. Choosing products to sell
3. Streamline international shipping and logistics
a. Have customs, duties, and clearances handled
b. Get the best shipping rates
c. Choose shipping speeds
4. Collect payments worldwide and comply with RBI regulations
a. Accept multicurrency payments
b. Get the best exchange rates with direct wire transfers
c. Comply with RBI guidelines with exports
d. Get FIRC & EBRC documents to comply with ‘C’
e. Reconcile shipments in the EDPMS portal (ICE gateway)
as mandated by the Indian authorities
5. Global tax compliance
a. Automatically assign products to country-specific tax codes
b. Monitor for economic nexus in various provinces
c. Register for sales/ VAT/ GST in various provinces
d. Ensure timely tax filings based on regional cadences
Maintaining high levels of customer experience
Customer experience is the cornerstone of DistaGlobal’s business and not just an operational metric. Every choice, from logistics alliances to technology development, is evaluated according to one criterion: how it raises customer satisfaction. DistaGlobal has based its business operations on some core fundamental pillars to guarantee that clients worldwide receive a reliable and superior experience.
To begin with, it operates as a unified global ecosystem powered by a consistent tech stack and centralized operations that integrate technology, logistics, and cultural understanding to deliver a seamless purchase experience across geographies. By sourcing directly from Indian brands and authorized distributors, it ensures authenticity and quality under uniform SOPs for sourcing, quality control, and logistics.
Predictable shipping performance is maintained through standardized service agreements with international couriers, while duties and taxes are pre-calculated for complete price transparency. Its 24×7 multilingual support team provides localized yet consistent service across all channels, ensuring uniform empathy and resolution quality. Continuously evolving through customer feedback from every region, DistaGlobal strives not only for operational consistency but also for emotional resonance, allowing global consumers to experience the same trust and connection with authentic Indian products.
Challenges for the cross-border ecosystem
There are particular difficulties in creating and growing an ecosystem for international cross-border trade. Navigating the complexities of international laws, taxes, and compliance requirements across several nations, each with its own set of regulations, was one of DistaGlobal’s largest challenges.
Another major challenge was managing cross-border logistics, duties, and customs clearance while keeping customer speed and dependability. DistaGlobal made investments in technology-enabled services, extensive operational knowledge, and solid international alliances with regulatory, payment, and logistics organizations worldwide in order to overcome these obstacles. To ensure uniformity across markets, the brand created standardized procedures for export documentation, tax compliance, and shipment reconciliation.
The significance of localization and market intelligence was another important lesson. Recognizing the tastes, buying patterns, and expectations of consumers across various geographies enabled DistaGlobal to customize pricing, marketing tactics, and services for optimal effect. The brand’s SOPs now include checkpoints to make sure that all marketing and sales strategies adhere to the laws of each shipping location. Because of these experiences, DistaGlobal has been able to create a strong, scalable, and effective ecosystem that makes cross-border business easier for Indian brands and provides a flawless experience for customers around the world.
The future outlook for the company
DistaGlobal is still researching new markets where there is a high demand for genuine Indian goods and effective international shipping. Data on diaspora density, cultural affinity, and operational viability inform its expansion strategy. As part of its next growth phase, the brand is currently expanding its category offerings to include spiritual, home & decor, kids fashion, jewelry, and more, as well as investigating new geographies in Europe and Asia. According to DistaGlobal, more than 25% of its customers are of non-Indian origin.
It plans to penetrate further into this customer segment with the aim of catering to the needs of this audience while helping increase adoption of products from India. According to DistaGlobal, more than 25% of its customers are of non-Indian origin. It plans to penetrate further into this customer segment, aiming to cater to the needs of this audience while helping increase the adoption of products from India. Kiran said as a proud Indian’s “We believe expanding internationally should never be a barrier; it should be a powerful opportunity for growth.
DistaGlobal is committed to removing the complexities of D2C cross-border commerce, from compliance and logistics to payments and delivery, so that Indian brands can focus on what they do best: creating exceptional products and experiences that reflect India’s talent, creativity, and innovation to the world,” Kiran added that the next few decades will be India’s era. Just as China captured the world’s imagination by becoming the manufacturing powerhouse of the past two decades, India now stands ready to lead with its unique blend of craftsmanship, technology, and entrepreneurial energy.
DistaGlobal aims to be the gateway for India’s products to reach the world, enabling every Indian brand, big or small, to participate in this global movement and take India’s story to every corner of the world.”
DistaGlobal intends to deepen its relationships with Indian D2C brands and expand its presence in both established and emerging markets over the course of the upcoming year. Delivering a remarkable cross-border commerce experience that puts an emphasis on accessibility, transparency, and authenticity will remain the brand’s top priority.
DistaGlobal wants to spearhead the next generation of “Made in India for the World,” allowing Indian companies to easily connect with consumers around the world. This strategy blends operational excellence, technology-driven solutions, and cultural awareness to guarantee that goods not only effectively reach but also appeal to global consumers. DistaGlobal is expected to establish new standards in cross-border D2C trade, bringing Indian brands to a wider audience and increasing their accessibility like never before.
Impact of 50% tariffs imposed on India:
We asked Kiran to share his thoughts on the latest upheaval in the market that followed when the U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on Indian- origin goods and ended the $800 de minimis exemption. To this, he replied that cross-border sellers and brands braced for an impact: pausing shipments and scrambling for compliance. “At DistaGlobal, our approach was to absorb this complexity so our partner brands didn’t have to. Dista’s and our partner brands’ operations stayed seamless because DistaGlobal overall focused on three things: speed, scale, and technology,” he shared.
The following measures were quite important in dealing with this unprecedented scenario:
1. Rapid tech response
- Reclassified hundreds of thousands of SKUs overnight to the correct HS codes, minimizing duties and preventing clearance delays.
- Automated FDA product code assignment for foods, cosmetics, and wellness products, meeting new U.S. requirements instantly.
- Updated our duty engine in real time to reflect tariff hikes, ensuring accurate landed costs for every order.
2. Direct customs integration While some carriers halted shipments, we integrated directly with U.S. Customs (ACE) for formal entries. This kept goods flowing without delays or surprise duties for customers.
3. Zero disruption for brands
Customers based in the U.S. received orders on time with transparent pricing and minimal impact.
Founders stayed focused on building products and scaling their brands, not untangling the rules. Compliance complexity, from tariff tables to customs filings, was handled entirely by DistaGlobal in the background. “What happened in the U.S. isn’t unique or the first.
The EU eliminated its VAT de minimis in 2021; Canada applies duties from the first dollar and has a low threshold for de minimis for duties; and other markets are moving in the same direction. DistaGlobal’s compliance stack already accounts for these realities, so that brands can scale internationally without worrying about global policy shocks.
This is a basic foundation on which DistaGlobal is built,” Kiran signed off from the conversation with these parting words shared with us.
