Custom CRM, ERP & Inventory Software: Cost & Timeline in India

What do custom CRM, ERP and inventory systems cost?

Cost rises with how much of the business the system touches. A custom CRM, managing leads, contacts, pipeline and follow-ups, typically runs ₹10-30 lakh. Custom inventory or warehouse software, covering stock, purchase orders, suppliers and locations, lands around ₹12-35 lakh. A custom ERP is the largest because it ties together finance, inventory, sales, HR and operations into one connected system, usually ₹25-80 lakh. These are honest 2026 India ranges across studios and agencies. Where you fall depends on module count, the depth of each module, how many integrations you need, and how many user roles and permission levels the system must support. ERP costs most simply because it's many systems in one.

What drives CRM, ERP and inventory pricing?

Five factors decide the bill. Module scope: each area, sales, finance, inventory, HR, adds build time, and ERP stacks several. Integrations: connecting accounting software, payment gateways, e-commerce platforms, GST e-invoicing and shipping APIs each take effort and testing. User roles and permissions: complex role hierarchies and approval workflows add logic. Data migration: moving years of existing records from spreadsheets or old systems is often underestimated. Reporting and dashboards: custom analytics and real-time reports add development. Buyers consistently underestimate integrations and data migration, then get surprised mid-project. List every external system the software must connect to, and every system you'll migrate data from, before requesting a quote. That single list tightens estimates dramatically.

• Number and depth of modules (sales, finance, inventory, HR).
• Integrations: accounting, payments, e-commerce, GST, shipping.
• User roles, permissions and approval workflows.
• Data migration from spreadsheets or legacy systems.
• Custom reporting, dashboards and analytics.

How long do these systems take to build?

Plan for 3-9 months, delivered in phases. A focused single-purpose CRM can ship a usable first version in 8-12 weeks. Inventory systems typically take 3-5 months. A full ERP, because of its many connected modules, runs 6-9 months or more. The smart approach is phased delivery: build and launch the highest-value module first, get your team using it, then add modules in priority order. This puts working software in real hands early, surfaces requirement gaps before they're expensive, and spreads cost over time. Trying to launch a giant all-modules-at-once ERP in one go is where big budgets and timelines slip. Phase it, learn, and expand from a working core.