Autodesk revamps India store into a self-serve platform for startups, freelancers and small businesses

CALIFORNIA: Autodesk has overhauled its India store, turning it into a full self-serve procurement platform as the design and engineering software giant doubles down on a market where nearly a billion people are online and a new generation of professionals expects to buy enterprise-grade software the same way they order everything else: instantly, digitally and without speaking to a salesperson.

The revamped Autodesk Store, launched on June 12th, now hosts more than 60 products available for purchase through credit cards, debit cards, net banking and UPI, covering the complete range of Autodesk’s design and make solutions available in India. Customers can generate and share quotes internally for faster approvals, complete multi-product orders in a single checkout, renew multiple subscriptions simultaneously and manage GST compliance, all entirely self-directed.

The numbers driving the decision are striking. Startups, freelancers and emerging businesses now account for more than 50 per cent of first-time customers on the platform, a figure that reflects both the scale of India’s entrepreneurial class and the degree to which digital procurement has become the default for a new generation of professionals. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities account for more than 20 per cent of Autodesk’s online customers in India, a signal that the next wave of design and manufacturing talent is not concentrated in the metros.

India now has 958 million active internet users, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India’s latest report, making it one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing digital economies.

The platform introduces several new purchasing models designed specifically around how India’s independent professionals and small businesses actually operate. Monthly subscriptions are now available, with entry pricing starting at Rs 1,062 per month for AutoCAD Web, allowing a freelance architect on a short commission or a startup testing its first prototype to access industry-standard tools for exactly as long as needed. Autodesk Flex, available exclusively on the India store, lets teams buy usage tokens starting at Rs 29,300 for 100 tokens, valid for a year and usable across multiple users and select products.

Kamolika Gupta Peres, vice-president for Autodesk India and SAARC, was unambiguous about what is driving the change. “India has nearly a billion active internet users, and for this generation, digital is not a channel. It is the expectation,” she said. “Designers, animators and manufacturers want to explore, evaluate and purchase professional technology instantly, just as they would any other product or service online.”

She added that over the past year the company had analysed the buying behaviour of its customer base across India, and the findings had shaped the store’s evolution into a more intuitive, inclusive and locally relevant experience. “As Autodesk’s reach expands across Bharat, we are making it easier to access professional design technology, regardless of where they are located,” she said.

Since its launch in 2017, the India store has grown into one of Autodesk’s most strategically important customer acquisition channels in the country. The latest overhaul is a clear signal that the company intends to keep it that way — and then some.

Professional design software, available in ten minutes, paid for via UPI. That, in essence, is Autodesk’s bet on India. And given the numbers, it looks like a very good one.