Sourcing agent · India
Sourcing agent for India: from supplier search to shipment
India is a broad manufacturing base, and suppliers are spread across states on both coasts, so the port, the registry and the origin paperwork all depend on where the factory is. We act as your sourcing agent for India from our office in Ho Chi Minh City: suppliers found and checked, samples and inspection managed, and the goods shipped with the right certificate of origin.
- Indian supplier search
- MCA and IEC checks
- Samples and inspection
- Certificate of origin via eCoO
Buyers often ask us about textiles and home textiles, leather goods, castings and forgings, engineering parts, spices and handicrafts from India. Those are examples, not limits — whatever you want to buy from India, we look for the suppliers that make it.
What makes Indian sourcing different is the registration and origin system. Every Indian company has a Corporate Identification Number with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and an exporter needs an Importer-Exporter Code from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Certificates of origin are applied for on DGFT’s eCoO platform and issued by designated agencies — different ones for preferential and non-preferential certificates. And India is not a party to RCEP, so goods from India into ASEAN rely on the ASEAN–India agreement instead.
We run the work in writing and by video, and where a factory has to be seen or a lot inspected on the spot, we agree with you beforehand whether we travel or appoint an independent inspector in India. An Indian supplier can be compared with suppliers in Vietnam, Indonesia or elsewhere on the same terms.
What is specific to India
| Often sourced (examples, not limits) | Textiles and home textiles, leather goods, castings and forgings, engineering parts, spices, handicrafts |
|---|---|
| Checking a supplier exists | Ministry of Corporate Affairs (Corporate Identification Number); Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT |
| Product standards | Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) — Compulsory Registration Scheme mainly for electronics and IT goods, and Quality Control Orders that make the ISI mark mandatory for other products |
| Certificate of origin | Applied for on DGFT’s eCoO platform; preferential certificates from designated agencies such as the Export Inspection Council, non-preferential from listed chambers and agencies |
| Trade agreements | Not an RCEP party; the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement remains in force |
| Main container ports | Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva); Mundra; Chennai |
Checked against the issuing authorities’ own published pages on 17 October 2026. Rules and lists change; we confirm the current position for your product before an order is placed.
Sourcing from India — the step-by-step buyer guideWhat this includes
Shortlist of Indian suppliers
Candidates found through the export promotion council for your product category and through direct enquiry.
MCA and IEC checks
The company’s registration status on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs records, and its Importer-Exporter Code.
Specification and sample discipline
Material, finish, tolerances and packing written down and approved on a physical sample before production.
Port and inland route confirmed
Which coast and which port the goods leave from, confirmed before quotations are compared.
Certificate of origin via eCoO
The preferential or non-preferential certificate requested from the right designated agency for your destination.
How a sourcing request for India runs
- 01 Brief The product, drawing or reference sample, quantity, destination and date.
- 02 Supplier search A shortlist of Indian suppliers with MCA registration and IEC checked, and the factory location and loading port identified.
- 03 Quotations compared on the same terms The same specification, quantity and Incoterm for every supplier, with inland transport and your destination’s duty included.
- 04 Samples Samples sent to you or to us, and the approved sample kept as the reference for production.
- 05 Inspection Pre-shipment inspection by us or by an independent inspector in India.
- 06 Shipping Export documents, the certificate of origin through eCoO, and handover to your forwarder at the confirmed port.
What we handle, and what you decide
A sourcing agent does the legwork; the decisions stay with you.
We handle
- Searching for suppliers that actually make your kind of product, and shortlisting them
- Checking each candidate against its company registry, and any certificate it shows with the body that issued it
- Carrying your specification to the supplier and its questions back to you, in writing
- Collecting quotations on the same specification, quantity and Incoterm
- Moving samples, recording your comments and following production
- Inspection before shipment, export documents and the certificate of origin
- Confirming the factory’s loading port and inland transport
You decide
- The specification, and what counts as a defect
- Your target price, quantity and delivery date
- Which supplier gets the order
- Whether a sample is approved
- Whether the goods ship once you have read the inspection report
- The Incoterm, the forwarder and the payment terms
How our fee is worked out
We do not publish a rate card, because the work behind a sourcing request varies too much for a single number to mean anything. What we can tell you is what the quotation for our work depends on, and we put it in writing before anything starts.
- How we are paid
- Either we act as the trading party and invoice you for the goods, with our margin inside the price, or we act as your buying agent and invoice a service fee while you pay the supplier directly. We agree which model applies before the supplier search begins.
- How much searching the product needs
- A complete drawing or specification with one target country is a different job from a loose description that needs suppliers compared across several countries.
- Samples and visits
- How many sample rounds the product is likely to need, and whether a factory has to be seen in person or checked by an independent inspector.
- Inspection, documents and delivery
- Who inspects and how many lots ship, which certificates and origin documents the destination asks for, the Incoterm you buy on, and whether goods from several suppliers are consolidated into one shipment.
Before you write to us
You do not need all of this to start a conversation — but the more of it you have, the faster we can give you a real answer instead of a range.
- Drawing, specification or reference sample
- Material, finish and any tolerance that matters
- Quantity per order and per year
- Destination country and preferred Incoterm
- Certificates or test reports your market requires
- Your current supplier and price, if you are switching
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in India?
No. We run Indian sourcing from our office in Ho Chi Minh City. Suppliers are found, checked and managed in writing and by video; where a factory has to be seen or goods inspected on the spot, we agree with you beforehand whether we travel or appoint an independent inspector in India.
How do I check that an Indian supplier is registered?
Through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs records, using the company’s Corporate Identification Number, and by confirming its Importer-Exporter Code with DGFT. We check both for every shortlisted supplier.
Can goods from India claim an RCEP rate?
No. India is not a party to RCEP. For goods into ASEAN countries, the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement is the one to check, with its own rules of origin and certificate.
Who issues an Indian certificate of origin?
Applications go through DGFT’s eCoO platform. Preferential certificates are issued by designated agencies such as the Export Inspection Council, and non-preferential certificates by listed chambers and agencies. We request the one your route needs.
Does my product need BIS certification?
BIS registration and the ISI mark govern products sold in India in the categories they cover. Goods made for export follow your destination’s rules; we check whether either applies to your product.
Regulatory information on this page is general and is not legal advice. Requirements depend on the product and change over time; we confirm the current position for your product before an order.
Guides for sourcing from India
Practical, step-by-step notes written from Ho Chi Minh City, with sources and the date we checked them.
Contact
Tell us what you want to buy or sell — in Vietnam or Japan
Selling into Vietnam or Japan, sourcing from either, or a product made under your own brand. One Japanese-managed team in Ho Chi Minh City, working in English, Japanese and Vietnamese.