diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f2ddd5e..a72ece6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -26,5 +26,9 @@ build/
 env/
 venv
 
-#Logs
-app.log
\ No newline at end of file
+# Logs
+app.log
+
+# Local Config
+config.ini
+*.ini
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 530da45..ab29b86 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,13 +20,35 @@ This Python script(**vfs-appointment-bot**) automates checking for appointments
 
 ## Installation
 
-<!-- The `vfs-appointment-bot` script can be installed using two methods:
+The `vfs-appointment-bot` script can be installed using two methods:
 
 **1. Using pip:**
 
 It is the preferred method for installing `vfs-appointment-bot`. Here's how to do it:
 
-1.  **Install using pip:**
+1.  **Create a virtual environment (Recommended):**
+
+    ```bash
+    python3 -m venv venv
+    ```
+
+    This creates a virtual environment named `venv` to isolate project dependencies from your system-wide Python installation (**recommended**).
+
+2.  **Activate the virtual environment:**
+
+    **Linux/macOS:**
+
+    ```bash
+    source venv/bin/activate
+    ```
+
+    **Windows:**
+
+    ```bash
+    venv\Scripts\activate
+    ```
+
+3.  **Install using pip:**
 
     ```bash
     pip install vfs-appointment-bot
@@ -36,7 +58,7 @@ It is the preferred method for installing `vfs-appointment-bot`. Here's how to d
 
 **Manual Installation:**
 
-If you prefer a more traditional approach, you can clone the source code from the project repository and install it manually: -->
+For an alternative installation method, clone the source code from the project repository and install it manually.
 
 1.  **Clone the repository:**
 
@@ -85,10 +107,24 @@ If you prefer a more traditional approach, you can clone the source code from th
     playwright install
     ```
 
-## Usage
+## Configuration
+
+1.  Download the [`config/config.ini`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ranjan-mohanty/vfs-appointment-bot/main/config/config.ini) template.
 
-> **Pre-configuration:**  
-> Before running the script, ensure your update the vfs credentials and notification channel preferences in the config.ini file. See the [Notification Channels](#notification-channels) section for details on configuring email, Twilio, and Telegram notifications.
+    ```bash
+    curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ranjan-mohanty/vfs-appointment-bot/main/config/config.ini -o config.ini
+    ```
+
+2.  Update the vfs credentials and notification channel preferences. See the [Notification Channels](#notification-channels) section for details on configuring email, Twilio, and Telegram notifications.
+3.  Export the path of the config file to the environment variable `VFS_BOT_CONFIG_PATH`
+
+    ```bash
+    export VFS_BOT_CONFIG_PATH=<your-config-path>/config.ini
+    ```
+
+**If you installed the script by cloning the repository (manual installation)**, you can directly edit the values in `config/config.ini`.
+
+## Usage
 
 1. **Command-Line Argument:**
 
diff --git a/vfs_appointment_bot/main.py b/vfs_appointment_bot/main.py
index c3ca6d6..964c5c4 100644
--- a/vfs_appointment_bot/main.py
+++ b/vfs_appointment_bot/main.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import sys
 from typing import Dict
 
-from vfs_appointment_bot.utils.config_reader import get_config_value
+from vfs_appointment_bot.utils.config_reader import get_config_value, initialize_config
 from vfs_appointment_bot.utils.timer import countdown
 from vfs_appointment_bot.vfs_bot.vfs_bot import LoginError
 from vfs_appointment_bot.vfs_bot.vfs_bot_factory import (
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ def main() -> None:
         Exception: For any other unexpected errors encountered during execution.
     """
     initialize_logger()
+    initialize_config()
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description="VFS Appointment Bot: Checks for appointments at VFS Global"
diff --git a/vfs_appointment_bot/utils/config_reader.py b/vfs_appointment_bot/utils/config_reader.py
index 3552394..6ce94cd 100644
--- a/vfs_appointment_bot/utils/config_reader.py
+++ b/vfs_appointment_bot/utils/config_reader.py
@@ -2,18 +2,16 @@
 from configparser import ConfigParser
 from typing import Dict
 
-_config = None
+_config: ConfigParser = None
 
 
-def get_config_parser(config_dir="config"):
+def initialize_config(config_dir="config"):
     """
     Reads all INI configuration files in a directory and caches the result.
+    Also reads user config from `VFS_BOT_CONFIG_PATH` env var (if set)
 
     Args:
         config_dir: The directory containing configuration files (default: "config").
-
-    Returns:
-        A ConfigParser object loaded with configuration data.
     """
     global _config
     if not _config:
@@ -22,7 +20,11 @@ def get_config_parser(config_dir="config"):
             if entry.is_file() and entry.name.endswith(".ini"):
                 config_file_path = os.path.join(config_dir, entry.name)
                 _config.read(config_file_path)
-    return _config
+
+    # Read user defined config file
+    user_config_path = os.environ.get("VFS_BOT_CONFIG_PATH")
+    if user_config_path:
+        _config.read(user_config_path)
 
 
 def get_config_section(section: str, default: Dict = None) -> Dict:
@@ -37,9 +39,8 @@ def get_config_section(section: str, default: Dict = None) -> Dict:
         A dictionary containing the configuration for the specified section,
         or the provided default dictionary if the section is not found.
     """
-    config = get_config_parser()
-    if config.has_section(section):
-        return dict(config[section])
+    if _config.has_section(section):
+        return dict(_config[section])
     else:
         return default or {}
 
@@ -57,8 +58,7 @@ def get_config_value(section: str, key: str, default: str = None) -> str:
         The value associated with the given key within the specified section,
         or the provided default value if the section or key does not exist.
     """
-    config = get_config_parser()
-    if config.has_section(section) and config.has_option(section, key):
-        return config[section][key]
+    if _config.has_section(section) and _config.has_option(section, key):
+        return _config[section][key]
     else:
         return default