What does custom ERP software cost in India? An honest breakdown
The range you will see online — ₹5 lakh to ₹1 crore — is technically true and completely useless. Here is what actually drives the number, and why the model is changing.
At Yukti AI, a custom ERP for an Indian SME starts from ₹30,000 for a focused system. The final price depends on scope: how many modules you need, how unusual your process is, integrations such as Tally or WhatsApp, how much data has to move, and how many user roles there are. It is a one-time build, quoted after a free workflow audit, not an open-ended project.
The traditional model, and why it scared SMEs off
For years, "custom ERP in India" meant a large project quoted in lakhs, running many months, with a team of business analysts and developers, a long requirements phase, and change-request charges after that. For a company doing a few crore in turnover, that is a serious capital decision — so most SMEs never seriously considered it and settled for a package that half-fit.
What actually drives the cost
- Number of modules. Inventory and billing is cheaper than inventory + production + job work + costing + multi-location.
- How unusual your process is. A standard trading flow is quick. A jeweller's metal ledger or a textile house's job-work tracking takes more design work — but that is exactly the part off-the-shelf gets wrong.
- Integrations. Connecting Tally, WhatsApp, payment gateways and shipping adds scope.
- Data migration. Clean, structured data is fast to import. Years of messy spreadsheets take longer.
- Users and roles. More roles with different views and permissions means more configuration.
The model that changed the maths
Building on a workflow-specific working version — where the client sees and confirms a working model of their real process before the full build — cut the requirements phase and the risk. Focused builds — a Shopify store, one automation, a single-module system — typically take about 7–10 days. A multi-module ERP or CRM usually takes a few weeks depending on scope. Either way it is a one-time build. That includes data setup, team training and typically twelve months of support, then a small annual maintenance charge rather than a per-user subscription.
How to think about the number
Compare it against three to five years of an off-the-shelf subscription (users × modules × renewals × implementation), plus the cost of your team not fully using a system that does not fit. A one-time custom build that your team actually adopts often wins that comparison — and you own the data.
The only reliable way to get a real number
A serious quote comes after someone has looked at how your business runs — your files, your process, your integrations. Any figure before that is a guess. A free workflow audit exists precisely to turn "₹5 lakh to ₹1 crore" into a specific scope and price.
What does Yukti AI charge for a custom ERP?
Our custom ERP builds start from ₹30,000. That starting point covers a focused system: one clear job done well, such as inventory with billing, or orders with dispatch. Larger systems with many modules, an AI layer and integrations cost more, and the final figure is a fixed quote agreed after the free audit. There is no per-user licence.
On timing: Focused builds — a Shopify store, one automation, a single-module system — typically take about 7–10 days. A multi-module ERP or CRM usually takes a few weeks depending on scope.
| Scope | Typical shape | What moves the price | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focused system | One module, such as inventory + billing or an order register | Fields, reports, one integration | About 7–10 days |
| Multi-module ERP | Inventory, orders, purchase, production or job work, billing | Number of modules, unusual rules, data migration | A few weeks, depending on scope |
| ERP + CRM + AI | The above plus leads, a WhatsApp inbox, an AI briefing and alerts | Integrations, roles, the AI layer | A few weeks, depending on scope |
Every row starts from ₹30,000; only the scope changes. If you are in Surat and want to sit down for the audit in person, see our page on custom ERP software in Surat.
Worked examples: what drove the scope in real builds
The easiest way to see what moves the number is to look at systems we have actually built. None of the points below are prices; they show where the work went.
- A fastener wholesaler. The Laxmi Fastener ERP has 57 screens across nine modules. The cost driver was an unusual process: every item is bought by weight and sold by weight or by piece, so the system needed its own KG-to-PCS unit engine, a parser for WhatsApp shorthand orders and running challans that roll into one monthly invoice.
- A solar mounting structure manufacturer. The Beetlory ERP has 17 modules on one set of books. The cost drivers were the shop floor and the books together: an aluminium cutting model with weight reconciliation and actual cost, plus GST billing that had to match the GoGSTBill invoices the client already used, bank reconciliation and payroll.
- A PP woven-bag manufacturer. The Splenzo manufacturing ERP has seven modules plus an AI suite. It was delivered in about ten working days because it sat on top of a working version the client had already confirmed. The working version is what took the risk out of the price.
- A corrugated box manufacturer. The Gujarat Print & Pack corrugated box ERP has 16 modules. The cost driver was the box costing engine: layer-wise paper weight with flute take-up, wastage and rejection modelled once and fixed costs spread over quantity, with 33 automated tests behind it.
- A jewellery brand. The Lumera jewellery ERP and CRM replaced six-plus Excel files. The scope came from jewellery-specific detail: diamonds by shape, size, carat and type, gold by karat, a live metal ledger per vendor and karigar, and GST invoices printed straight from the order.
- A lift company. The Maven Lift ERP was built in one week from a confirmed work order, again on top of a quotation-builder. The site survey feeds straight into the quote, which is where most of the design effort went.
- A garment manufacturer. The Wewok garment ERP replaces seven separate department desk tools. The cost drivers were the number of stations a garment passes through (weighed fabric rolls, dyeing, cutting by size ratio, bundles, stitching, QC and finished stock) and piece-rate wages for karigars across 18 operations on a single style.
- A label printer. The Jisha Label ERP is a made-to-order build where every job starts as a specification. The cost drivers were the quotation and costing engine, artwork proofs that gate plate making, recipe-driven job cards and QR roll traceability from supplier lot to child roll.
The pattern is the same each time. Standard screens are quick. The one step your business does differently is where the work goes, and it is also the step off-the-shelf software usually gets wrong.
Costs to ask about besides the build
A fair quote should be clear about what sits outside the build price. Ask about each of these up front:
- Support and maintenance. Our builds include data setup, training and twelve months of support, then a small annual maintenance charge.
- WhatsApp messaging. If the ERP sends WhatsApp messages through the official API, Meta charges for conversations. Our guide to WhatsApp Business API pricing in India explains how that works.
- Accounting link. Most SMEs keep Tally for GST filing and books. Connecting the two is a defined piece of work; see Tally integration with a custom ERP.
- Data clean-up. Clean files import quickly. Years of inconsistent spreadsheets take longer, and you should know who does that work.
- Third-party subscriptions. A Shopify plan, a payment gateway or an SMS provider is paid by you directly to that provider.
Five questions to ask before you accept any ERP quote
- Will I see a working version of my own workflow before the full build?
- Is the price fixed, and what exactly is in and out of scope?
- Do I pay per user or per module every year, or is it a one-time build?
- Who owns the data, and can I export all of it at any time?
- What happens when my process changes after go-live?
If you want to compare this with automation projects such as WhatsApp bots or n8n workflows, our AI automation cost guide covers those separately. To see more systems side by side, browse our real ERP builds and timelines.
Yukti AI builds custom AI-powered business management systems for Indian companies — CRM, ERP, inventory, billing and WhatsApp in one platform, built around how your business runs. A free audit turns a vague range into a specific scope and price. Get a free workflow audit →
Related: Custom ERP Software · Custom ERP vs off-the-shelf ERP · AI Business Management System
Quick answers
To see the scope behind a larger custom build, read the diamond inventory management ERP case study: custody, assorting, workforce, accounts and AI on one ledger. A multi-module trading build with inventory intelligence, brokers and CRM is described in the Arham Exports diamond trading ERP case study.