CRM software in India: what SMBs need and how to choose
Lead capture from WhatsApp and marketplaces, pipelines, quotes that turn into GST invoices and what the DPDP Act means for customer data, from the team building ERPStack.
Last updated 21 October 2026
What should CRM software do for an Indian business?
CRM software keeps every lead, customer and conversation in one place so your team follows up on time. For an Indian SMB it should capture leads from WhatsApp, your website and B2B marketplaces, track deals through a pipeline, turn accepted quotes into GST invoices without retyping, and record consent and data-handling choices with the DPDP Act, 2023 in mind.
Where ERPStack is today
ERPStack is in development. It is not yet available to download or buy, and the features on this page are planned, not shipped.
Sign upWhat must CRM software do for Indian SMBs?
| Feature | What it should do |
|---|---|
| Lead capture | Bring in enquiries from your website, WhatsApp, B2B marketplaces, calls and walk-ins, with the source recorded |
| Duplicate checks | Spot the same buyer arriving by phone, email and marketplace, and merge the records |
| Pipeline | Show each deal by stage, value and expected close date |
| Follow-ups | Remind the owner of each lead when the next call or message is due |
| Quotes | Build quotes from the item list with current prices, discounts and GST |
| Quote to invoice | Turn an accepted quote into a GST invoice without retyping |
| Customer history | Keep calls, messages, quotes, orders and payments on one record |
| Consent records | Store what each contact agreed to, when, and for which purpose |
Marketplace and WhatsApp leads are where small teams lose most enquiries, because they arrive on different phones and inboxes. Whatever CRM you choose, check how leads from each of your channels get into it, and whether that needs manual copying.
Why should CRM quotes turn into GST invoices?
A tax invoice must carry the particulars in CGST Rule 46, and most of them are already known by the time a quote is accepted. If the CRM captures them properly, the invoice can be created from the quote without anyone keying them in again.
| Captured in the CRM | Used on the GST invoice for |
|---|---|
| Customer GSTIN and legal name | Recipient details for registered buyers |
| Billing and delivery address with state | Place of supply, which decides CGST and SGST or IGST |
| Items with HSN or SAC codes | Invoice lines and the GST rate |
| Agreed price and discount | Taxable value |
| Quote number and date | A reference that links the invoice back to the deal |
A quote or proforma invoice is a commercial document, not a GST invoice; see the proforma invoice format. For what the invoice itself must contain, see GST billing software.
What does the DPDP Act mean for customer data in a CRM?
A CRM is mostly personal data: names, phone numbers, emails and conversation history. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs how that data is collected and used, and the DPDP Rules, 2025 were published in the Gazette of India dated 13 November 2025 (PIB explainer). The Rules come into force in stages. As published, Rule 1 says rules 1, 2 and 17 to 21 apply from publication, Rule 4 on consent managers one year later, and rules 3, 5 to 16, 22 and 23 eighteen months later, which is May 2027.
| Rule (in force from May 2027, as published) | What it asks of a business | What the CRM should support |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 3: notice | A clear, stand-alone notice listing the personal data and the purpose, with a way to withdraw consent as easy as giving it | Record which notice each contact saw, the purpose and the consent date; make withdrawal a one-step action |
| Rule 6: security safeguards | Measures such as encryption or masking, access control, logs and backups; logs kept for one year | Role-based access, access logs and backups |
| Rule 7: breach intimation | Tell affected people without delay, and the Data Protection Board, with a detailed report within 72 hours | Quickly list which contacts a breach affected and how to reach them |
| Rule 8(3): retention | Keep personal data, traffic data and processing logs for at least one year, then erase unless another law needs them | Retention settings and erasure that can be scheduled and recorded |
| Rule 14: rights | Publish how people can exercise their rights, and answer grievances within a period of up to 90 days | Find, export, correct or erase one person’s data on request |
Which duties apply to you, and when, depends on your business and on any later notification. Check MeitY for changes to these dates, and treat this as a starting list for your own legal review rather than a compliance checklist.
How do you choose CRM software for an Indian SMB?
| Question to ask | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| How do WhatsApp and marketplace leads get in? | Automatically or with one click, with the source recorded |
| Does it catch duplicates? | Matches on phone, email and GSTIN before creating a new record |
| Can a quote become a GST invoice? | Yes, with GSTIN, place of supply and HSN codes carried across |
| Is it usable on a phone? | Field sales can log calls and visits on the move |
| How is consent recorded? | Per contact, with the notice, purpose and date |
| Who can see what? | Roles that limit access to customer data, with access logs |
| Is it connected to stock and accounts? | Quotes show stock; invoices and receipts reach the ledgers |
| Can you get your data out? | Full export of contacts, deals and history in open formats |
How will ERPStack handle CRM?
ERPStack is an ERP for Indian small and mid-sized businesses that Perimattic is building. CRM is planned as the front end of selling, on the same records as billing, stock and accounts:
- Leads from your website, WhatsApp and marketplaces in one list, with the source of each.
- A pipeline with follow-up reminders for every open deal.
- Quotes that become GST invoices with GSTIN, place of supply and HSN codes carried across.
- Consent and notice records per contact, and tools to export or erase one person’s data.
Status: ERPStack is in development and none of this is available to use yet. The CRM module is planned, not shipped. Sign up to tell us where your leads come from today.
This page is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. The rules cited were checked on 22 October 2026.
More on selling and billing
CRM software, answered
Do I need a CRM if my team already sells on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a good channel but a poor record. Chats sit on individual phones, follow-ups depend on memory, and when a salesperson leaves their conversations often go too. A CRM keeps the lead, the conversation summary, the quote and the next step against the customer, so anyone on the team can pick it up.
Is the DPDP Act in force for customer data in a CRM?
It is being brought in stages. The DPDP Rules, 2025 were published in the Gazette on 13 November 2025; as published, the rules on notices, security safeguards, breach intimation and retention come into force eighteen months after that, in May 2027. Check MeitY for any later change to these dates and take legal advice on how they apply to you.
What is the difference between a CRM and an ERP?
A CRM covers the work before and around a sale: leads, follow-ups, quotes and customer history. An ERP runs the rest of the business from the same records: invoicing, stock, purchasing, production and accounts. When the CRM is part of the ERP, an accepted quote becomes an invoice and a stock reservation without being typed in again.
Want ERPStack built around how your business bills?
Sign up to tell us what you need, follow the build and be first to try ERPStack when it opens.
Sign up