Can I buy wholesale garments without GST registration? What are the limitations?

Yes — you can buy wholesale garments without GST registration, but there are significant limitations:

What you CAN do without GST:

• Buy from any wholesale supplier — they will sell to unregistered buyers (most do)
• Receive goods with a simple retail bill or even cash memo instead of a tax invoice
• Sell as a small retailer within your state

What you CANNOT do without GST:

• Claim Input Tax Credit (ITC) — the GST paid on your purchases cannot be recovered
• Sell business-to-business to other GST-registered buyers (they will not be able to claim ITC from you)
• Register on major online marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart require GST for sellers)
• Operate legally if your annual turnover exceeds ₹20 lakhs (₹10 lakhs in some states) — registration becomes mandatory