The eCommerce Seller's Guide to Sourcing From

Contents

Introduction

About Me

Megadi’s India Sourcing Trip

Why Source From India

Challenges Sourcing From India

Differences Between Sourcing From India and China

Product Categories

Production Hubs

Finding Suppliers

Sourcing at Trade Shows

Quality Control

Logistics and Delivery Times

Prices and Payment Terms

Tips for Effective Sourcing

Conclusion

Service Providers

1

Introduction Zig when everyone zags.

When everyone is going one way, sometimes you

need to find another way in order to beat the crowd

and be successful.

For eCommerce sellers, sourcing from India feels exactly

like “zigging”.

While most private label Amazon FBA sellers are buying

products from China to sell online, some people are going

against the grain and doing exactly the opposite of what the

“gurus” are teaching. They are sourcing from markets other

than China - and India is one of them.

In fact, the import tariffs imposed by the US on China-

made products make it imperative for e-commerce sellers

catering to the US to look for alternative sourcing markets.

And India is one of the countries importers will be looking to

buy from.

Another big advantage of sourcing from India is that a

lot of suppliers, especially those producing handcrafted

products, will accept low minimum order quantities. You

can buy as few as 50-100 pieces from India suppliers.

China manufacturers, on the other hand, are less flexible to

smaller MOQs.

There are of course drawbacks and challenges sourcing

from India. For one, the number of products available to

source is quite limited, and infrastructure and supply chains

2

are not as developed as they are in China.

This book describes the good, bad and the ugly of im-

porting from India, and explains how you can address

the challenges.

Who is this book for?

This book has been written for entrepreneurial eCom-

merce sellers who want to source private label products

from India to sell online or on Amazon FBA.

You might already be sourcing from China and want

to diversify your sourcing markets, or maybe you’re a

beginner and you want to stand out from the crowd by

sourcing non-traditional products from a place other than

China.

This book is not for large brands or retailers who may

already have sourcing offices in India.

The information here is the tip of the iceberg. It’s a

starting point to help you

decide if buying from

India is right for your

business.

There are a lot more

complexities to importing

that you will learn as you

start sourcing from India

or network with service

providers and other ex-

perienced sellers and

experts.

3

About Me

Hi, I’m Meghla Bhardwaj, the author of this book.

I’ve been working in the Asia sourcing industry for

close to 19 years (yikes, I’m a dinosaur!). I’ve visited

hundreds of factories in India and China and have a

deep understanding of the sourcing process and how

products are manufactured.

I’ve been attending sourcing trade shows in China and India

for over a decade.

More recently, I’ve been working with Amazon and eCom-

merce sellers, helping them source more effectively from In-

dia and China by providing them the information they need to

make the right choices.

I’ve lived in Shenzhen in China for more than 9 years working

closely with suppliers and buyers, trying to understand their

needs and challenges.

Having worked with leading B2B sourcing platform, Global

Sources for most of my career, I’ve been able to see things

from both the supplier and buyer perspectives.

Having produced hundreds of research reports on products

manufactured for export in China and India, I’ve been on the

ground and in the trenches, way before “selling on Amazon”

was a thing.

Since April 2016, I’ve been organizing Global Sources Summit,

a 3-day conference in Hong Kong for global eCommerce pri-

vate label sellers. I’ve been interviewed on many podcasts

4

and webinars, and I’ve presented at numerous sourcing and

eCommerce conferences.

Being an eCommerce seller myself, I understand what’s impor-

tant for entrepreneurial online sellers, most of whom start their

eCommerce journeys with limited capital but unlimited drive

and grit!

I love working in the eCommerce industry, and have developed

great relationships with other experts in the field.

I’m always ready to lend a helping hand to Amazon and online

sellers, by either answering any questions they might have or

connecting them to someone else who can help them. I believe

in karma and “what goes around comes around”, and I’ve been

blessed with friends who have helped me along the way.

I want you to know as far as sourcing products from India (and

even China) is concerned, you’re in good company and safe

hands.

I’ll provide you with the information, knowledge, tools

and connections you need to import successfully and

more importantly profitably.

Go source some kickass products from India and build your

eCommerce empire! I’m rooting for you

5

www.IndiaSourcingTrip.com

6

Why Source From India

Let’s take a look at some of the advan-

tages Amazon and e-commerce sellers

have when buying products from India.

Diversify sourcing to minimize business risk Diversification is a business strategy that

helps businesses reduce risk and stay

afloat during turbulent times.

For Amazon and e-commerce sellers,

it is important to diversify into multiple

product categories to continue generating

consistent revenue even if sales of one

category go down.

Similarly, sourcing from only one coun-

try can be risky as trade disputes can

impact bottom lines, especially if you

are selling high-competition and low-

margin products.

Increasingly, large and small importers

around the world are trying to diversify

their sourcing and not putting all their eggs

in one basket.

The recent US import tariffs on China-

made products is a prime example of

how government policy can impact import

businesses in the blink of an eye.

7

Import tariffs and anti-dumping duties are

nothing new, and have been imposed

on a large number of products over

the years. However, historically when

imposed on a wide scale, they have often

resulted in consolidation of industries and

closure of many businesses that could

not absorb the higher costs.

The bottom line is that e-commerce busi-

nesses importing private label products

are exposed to such risks, and sourcing

diversification is one way to mitigate these

risks.

As a private label seller, you can explore

sourcing markets such as India and

even other countries including Vietnam,

Indonesia, Thailand, Guatemala and

the like to ensure sustained revenue in

case tariffs or other developments impact

sourcing.

Source unique, differentiated products One of the main reasons to source from

India is that the country specializes

in producing unique and handcrafted

products not found in other countries.

India suppliers focus a lot on design

development and regularly develop and

launch in-house designed products.

There are also a wide range of indigenous

8

handicraft styles that are unique to the

country.

For example, blue pottery from the state of

Rajasthan, or cane and bamboo products

made in the Eastern states of Assam,

Meghalaya and Sikkim.

In fact, suppliers are very protective about

their designs. At trade shows, exhibitors

won’t let you take photos of the products in

their booths.

The advantage of selling handcrafted

products is that they can command higher

prices and therefore have higher

profit potential.

A lot of e-commerce courses teach sim-

ilar techniques of selling online - find

high-demand low-competition product

categories on Amazon, source the

product from a B2B marketplace such

as Alibaba or Global Sources, make a

few modifications and slap your brand

on it. While there is nothing wrong with

this “formula”, the problem is that when

everyone uses the same method of finding

products, the category quickly becomes

saturated and ends up becoming a race to

9

the bottom with sellers undercutting each

other on price.

In addition, you’ll probably compete with

numerous Chinese sellers who are now

40% of Amazon’s third party sellers.

Sourcing unique products from India is a

strategy that will allow you to stay

away from highly competitive low-margin

products with cut-throat competition.

Also, since these products are not ex-

tremely high revenue generators, they

are typically not on the radar of un-

scrupulous sellers who might resort to

black hat tactics to gain the Buy Box or

worse get their competitors’ listings

suspended.

Place small orders Since a lot of the products are hand-made,

suppliers are usually willing to cater to

small orders.

While minimum order quantities typically

range from 200-500 units, suppliers do

cater to orders as low as 20-50 pieces

(with the exception of apparel and textiles).

They may charge a slightly higher price for

smaller orders.

This is definitely a huge advantage for

Amazon sellers, especially if you’re just

starting out with a small budget or if

you’re an experienced seller and want to

test a new product line.

Companies might not be flexible with

MOQs if they need to significantly

customize a product or if they need

to purchase a new raw material or

component. Generally, apparel suppliers

are less flexible with MOQs.

Protect your IP One of the main areas of contention in the

trade war between the US and China is

IP protection. But when you source from

India, you won’t have to worry about your

supplier copying your designs and selling

them to other buyers.

In general, Indian suppliers have more re-

spect for their buyers’ IP than typical Chi-

nese suppliers. That doesn’t mean your

10

IP will never ever be compromised, but it’s

much less likely to happen in India than in

China.

In the unlikely situation that your supplier

does infringe your IP, and if you do have a

strong contract in place, it is easier to take

the supplier to court as legal proceedings

in India are in English and the legal system

is similar to other common law countries

such as the US.

Nothing is lost in translation English is the second official language in

India, and most people you will deal with at

your supplier will speak English, some of

course more fluent than others.

As there are 22 languages in India,

each with its unique script, English is the

language that unites the country! Many

Indians speak two languages – their own

state’s language and English.

This is extremely advantageous when it

comes to communicating with your suppli-

er, especially when you are developing or

modifying a product to private label.

In addition, you don’t need translators

when visiting a trade show in India or

talking to suppliers online.

Domestic availability of various raw materials A wide range of raw materials are readily

available domestically in India includ-

ing cotton, silk, jute, marble, metal,

wood, bamboo and others.

India is the world’s largest producer of

cotton and accounts for 26 percent of

global production, according to the Cotton

Corporation of India Limited.

High quality production (mostly) While quality is subjective and it is up to

buyers to define their quality standards,

products made in India are generally of

high quality with long-lasting materials and

smooth finishing.

Typically suppliers will not use substandard

materials without the knowledge of buyers

as sometimes happens in China.

Generally suppliers that are export- fo-

cused are more “professional” and less

likely to have quality problems. Avoid

dealing with suppliers that also sell in the

domestic market.

This does not imply buyers should

take quality for granted and not con-

duct inspections or not list their prod-

uct specifications in detail before plac-

ing orders.

Quality issues can creep in, for example,

due to inconsistent batches of raw mate-

rials, new workers in the factory, or neg-

ligence by the factory.

11

Similar to China, there are bad actors

in India who will try and cut corners or

mislead buyers. Be aware of this, and walk

away if a supplier is being vague or wishy

washy.

Help uplift disadvantaged communities India is a developing country with high

levels of poverty and illiteracy.

There are non-profit organizations in

the country that employ disadvan-

taged

communities (for e.g. single women that

don’t have the skills to earn a living) to

manufacture products for export.

When Amazon sellers source products

from such organizations, they can com-

mand higher prices for the products be-

cause of the story behind them. At the

same time, they get to help and uplift

these communities - what a beautiful and

ethical way to run a business!

12

Challenges Sourcing From India

Finding and vetting suppliers In general, finding India suppliers is not

as easy as finding suppliers in China

mainly because there’s no single major

supplier directory that hosts the majority

of companies. You would need to use

multiple ways to find suppliers including

supplier directories, trade shows, agents

and the like. (Refer to the Finding Sup-

pliers section)

Quality control This issue is not specific to sourcing from

India per se, but is applicable to China

and other developing countries as well. In

India, if you deal with domestic-focused

suppliers, you will almost certainly have

quality problems. Secondly, keep an eye

on quality throughout the sourcing process

and all orders. (Refer to the Quality Con-

trol section)

Suppliers don’t understand FBA

The majority of suppliers, especially small

manufacturers don’t understand FBA re-

quirements, and will depend on you to

provide them with specific information

about certifications, labeling, logistics and

the like.

Limited logistics support China suppliers are increasingly

13

getting familiar with Amazon FBA require-

ments and processes, and logistics re-

quirements. For example, if you’re just

starting out and shipping small quantities,

suppliers in China might quote you a

DDP price for the shipment and manage

all aspects of the shipping process.

They can even buy a customs bond on

your behalf, and also be the importer of

record. But that’s not the case in India.

Freight forwarders will expect you to be

the importer of record, and know the

certifications needed.

Suppliers don’t say “No”

Be prepared for some suppliers to be

dishonest, misleading and vague in

their communication. Indians (similar to

Chinese) don’t like to say “No” and will

often promise even if they are unable to

deliver. Typically, suppliers that do 100%

exports and deal with overseas buyers on

a regular basis are less likely to resort to

such tactics.

Indian standard time = Indian stretchable time It’s not right to generalize, but some Indi-

ans don’t respect time and “Indian Stan-

dard Time” is often referred to as “Indian

Stretchable Time”! Delays might also be

caused by issues that are outside of sup-

pliers’ control.

Be mindful of this and expect delays

in email replies (except when they are

following up for payments), production and delivery.

14

Differences Between Sourcing From India and China

China and India have very different

strengths and weaknesses. Here are the

key differences Amazon sellers will find

when sourcing from these countries:

Production scale While China focuses on large scale mass

production of products, India has the arti-

sanship to create handcrafted unique

products.

China manufactures at scale, in India

most factories are small and midsize.

The government too favors SMEs and

the country’s regulations are designed to

protect them.

There are also a large number of big en-

terprises in India, and these are mostly in

industries such as apparel, textiles,

chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery,

electronic components, auto & parts and

the like.

For most products relevant for private

label sellers, the manufacturers would

be smaller factories. Many factories

are family-run businesses so don’t be

surprised to see two generations attend a

meeting with you if you visit their factory.

15

Product categories China manufactures practically anything

and everything while India has a limited

number of products on offer such as tex-

tiles, handicrafts, leather products, and

the like.

Language Communication with Indian suppliers is

more efficient as a large percentage of the

population speaks English.

In China, most factories have English-

speaking sales staff, but often engineers,

assembly line managers and factory

owners cannot speak English. Generally,

factories in the Pearl River Delta region in

Guangdong province have better English

speaking staff than companies in the

eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.

Workforce Similar to China, India boasts a large

engineer and factory worker population.

Both countries also have developed

software industries.

Factory workers in China are generally

more productive than their counterparts

in India. They are more willing to work

overtime or on weekends to increase their

earnings.

Indian factory workers, on the other hand,

strive for more work-life balance and are

generally less willing to put in extra hours

of work.

Unlike China, labor unions are active in

India and often negotiate with factory

owners for better wages and working con-

ditions for workers. Due to the democratic

nature of society, workers of large facto-

ries sometimes go on strike to demand

higher pay. This is of course not encour-

aged in socialist China.

16

Worker wages are lower in India than they

are in China.

Infrastructure India lacks developed Infrastructure like

China’s. Roads are not well developed and

maintained, transportation mediums such

as trains don’t run efficiently and are often

delayed.

Ports are not as efficient as they are in

China and customs clearance processes

may be tedious.

During the monsoon or rainy season

in June and July, many areas witness

flooding and transportation disruption.

Major port city, Mumbai in the state of

Maharashtra, is often times flooded during

the rainy season and sometimes grinds to

a halt for a couple of days due to heavy

incessant rains. This naturally causes de-

lays in transportation of raw materials to

factories and finished goods from factories

to the port.

It is safe to say that no other country

in the world currently matches China’s

combination of scale, skills, infrastructure

and cost that make it a production pow-

erhouse.

India is taking small steps to improve its

manufacturing prowess. Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s “Make In India” program

to boost the manufacturing sector has

been showing results.

In the World Bank’s latest Doing Business

Report (DBR, 2018), India has recorded a

jump of 23 positions against its rank of 100

in 2017 to be placed now at the 77th rank

among 190 countries assessed by the

World Bank.

In the previous year, India improved its rank

17

by 30 places, a rare feat for any large and

diverse country the size of India. As a re-

sult of continued efforts by the Govern-

ment, India has improved its rank by 53

positions in the last two years.

The most dramatic improvements have

been registered in the indicators related to

‘Construction Permits’ and ‘Trading across

Borders’.

In ‘Trading across Borders’, India’s rank

improved by 66 positions moving from 146

in 2017 to 80 in 2018.

India has improved the efficiency of cross-

border trading and reduced the time taken

to meet compliance requirements, the re-

port said.

Large and growing domestic markets Both India and China have large domestic

markets that overseas eCommerce sell-

ers can tap into. However, it’s easier to

sell on Amazon India than to sell on

Taobao (the most popular B2C website in

China) due mainly to the language barri-

er.

Amazon India is in English but Taobao is

in Mandarin.

Selling on Amazon India is easier for

global sellers as they can modify their

existing listings and re-post them.

Overseas sellers need a local partner

or a local company to sell in India.

Reach out to us at info@india-

sourcingtrip.com if you’d like to learn

more about how to sell on Indian

eCommerce marketplaces.

Even if this isn’t your primary goal, now is

the time to start selling on Amazon India

as e-commerce is growing at a fast pace.

In addition, the Indian government re-

cently announced a directive that disal-

lows marketplaces such as Amazon to

sell their own products or products by

companies they have a majority stake in

on their websites. This is a huge

advantage for third party sellers as unlike

in the US or other countries, they don’t

have to compete with Amazon’s own

brands.

18

Product Categories

India’s top exported products in

2018 included mineral fuels, gems,

precious metals, machinery including

computers, vehicles, organic chemicals,

pharmaceuticals, cotton, clothing, ac-

cessories and home products.

Almost half of Indian exports by value

were delivered to other Asian countries.

Another 20% was sold to European im-

porters while 18% went to North America.

India is the preferred source for cotton

textiles and cotton-based products such

as apparel, fashion accessories and

furnishings.

Key categories Amazon sellers can

source from India:

Home décor and home products (tex-tiles, metal, wood, ceramic, cotton, jute): • Tableware, kitchenware

• Home decor

• Lawn and garden ornaments &

accessories

• Lamps and lighting

• Furniture

Home furnishings and made-ups: • Carpets, rugs & floorings

• Bed covers and linen, bedspreads

19

• Cushion covers

• Duvet covers

• Throws

• Curtains

• Table covers, placemats

Fashion: • Jewelry and accessories

• Bags

• Scarves

• Precious gemstones

Textiles & apparel: • Ready made garments (cotton products

– knitted and woven, silk)

• Textiles and fabrics

Leather: • Shoes

• Bags

• Wallets

• Belts

• Equestrian products (leather and nylon)

Gifts & stationery: • Christmas & festive décor

• Candles, incense sticks, potpourri and

aromatics

• Decorative gifts (including corporate

gifts)

• Stationery and paper including

handmade paper

Eco-friendly products: • Cane, bamboo fiber, natural & eco-

friendly products

Tools:

• Gardening tools

• Hand tools

• Automobile tools

• Agricultural tools

Medical disposables: • Gloves

Food: • Rice

• Spices

• Lentils

• Tea & coffee

• Superfoods

Sports products: • Athletic equipment

• Baseball, golf, soccer, hockey,

badminton equipment

• Tennis and table tennis

Raw hides and leather: animal skins; var-

ious types of leather; leather handbags;

gloves including ski, ice hockey, belts

Wood: various types of wood; particle-

board; wicker and bamboo baskets

Paper

Silk

Wool or animal hair products: cashmere; yarns; tapestries and

upholstery

20

Cotton: fibers; thread; yarn; denim; satin

Flax: yarn; fabrics

Other textile products, rope, twine: hammocks; fish nets; carpets

Fabrics: corduroy, terry towel; lace;

badges; embroidery

Headgear: caps; hairnets; wool hats; head

bands

Vehicles and parts Furniture: wood chairs; furniture de-

signed for offices, kitchens; chandeliers;

lamps

Stone, plaster, cement, asbestos: stone

for art; marble slabs; floor or wall tiles

Ceramics: tiles; porcelain and china

Glass and glassware: balls; rods; drawn

or blown glass; mirrors; bottles, jars, pots,

flasks, and other containers

Iron and steel and products derived from the metals: drums; tubes; pipes;

doors; windows; screws; horseshoes

Various metal products, tools, cutlery

21

Production Hubs

Similar to China, there are production

centers for specific products in India. But

while Chinese cities tend to specialize in

certain product categories, Indian cities

specialize in materials and offer products

across different categories in those ma-

terials.

Ludhiana Apparel industry manufacturing woolen

garments and hosiery apparel, hand

tools and industrial equipment, bicycle

manufacturing, bicycle parts and metals

fabrication. 12,000 small and major in-

dustrial units that manufacture hosiery

products.

Moradabad

Brassware: The city focuses on the manu-

facture of all types of brass ad metal

products — from home and garden décor,

to hardware and cutlery. It houses 600

export units, and over 5,000 small facto-

ries. 1,050,000 people employed.

Firozabad Glass & glass products: The industry be-

gan in the late 18th century, when Mus-

lim artists settled in the town, and began

making glass bangles. 4,222 units oper-

ational. 33,700 people employed.

22

Kanpur

Leather, textiles: Home of many govern-

ment and private textile mills from the pre-

Independence era but today most of them

have shut down. Now better known for

leather products and automobile and ma-

chinery parts.

Varanasi Handloom & handicrafts: Traditional

handloom and silk brocade weaving

cluster dating back centuries. 1.7 million

powerloom units employing 8 million

workers. There are 150,000 weavers in

Varanasi.

Surat Diamond cutting & polishing: Started more

than a century ago. Today it’s the world’s

biggest diamonds cutting and polishing

center. 5,000 manufacturing units. Annual

exports of over $20 billion. 1.5 million

people employed.

Kochi Seafood, fisheries, oil refining, spices.

Approximately 139,865 tons of spices

produced in 2016-17.

Tirupur Textiles: It is largest cotton textiles, and

cotton knitwear, manufacturing hub in

the country since the 1970s. It is also

one of the biggest exporting centers of

cotton textiles.

Chennai Automobiles & auto components: Start-

ed in the 1950s, with Ashok Leyland set-

ting up manufacturing plants to produce

cars. Now, it is an automobile manufactur-

ing hub for companies like Hyundai, Ford,

Daimler and BMW. Components industry

has also flourished, with turnover approx-

imately touching $40 billion in 2015-16.

Visakhapatnam Steel, shipbuilding, pharma-

ceuticals, fertilizers, coffee,

fishing, petrochemicals, refin-

ery.

Saharanpur Wooden products suppliers that

make anything from gift boxes to

furniture.

Khurja Has a range of ceramic products

suppliers.

23

Exquisite Handloom Fabrics India offers a wide range of handloom fabrics that are indigenous and unique to the

country. In fact, each state is known for a specific type of fabric. They have their own

handloom techniques that are used to weave many unique fabrics.

Here are some of the main fabrics that can be used in apparel, home furnishings, and any

other textile-based product (map and fabric information courtesy Craftsvilla).

24

Finding Suppliers

Most Indian suppliers don’t maintain up-

dated catalogs of their products and

many don’t even have their own websites

because they are afraid their designs will

be copied by other suppliers!

They prefer sending their newest designs

to buyers directly by email or exhibiting

them at trade shows. In fact, suppliers

are very protective of their designs and

discourage videography and photography

at trade shows.

You can find suppliers on third-party

sourcing websites such as Alibaba, India

Mart and Global Sources, at the

Global Sources trade shows in Hong Kong

or at the IHGF Delhi Fair in India.

Global Sources and Alibaba are the

more export-oriented supplier directories,

whereas the local websites have a large

number of suppliers that cater to the

domestic market as well. There are a lot of

trading companies, too and it’s sometimes

difficult to identify real factories.

Here are some tips to identify manufac-

turers. These will not work 100% all the

time as sometimes manufacturers will

make some products in-house, and out-

source other categories.

25

Product categories: If a supplier features

a diverse range of products made from

different materials (for e.g. wooden

home decor and cushion covers) on their

website or at a trade show, they are most

likely trading in one of the categories and

manufacturing the other in-house.

It is common for suppliers to outsource

production or certain processes to home-

based artisans, or village clusters.

Company name: Sometimes a trading

company will have the words “import”,

“export”, “trading”, “agent” in their name.

These are usually trading companies.

Many of the buying agents in the country

maintain their own databases of vetted

suppliers, and can usually help find

manufacturers for any product category.

There are also a number or export pro-

motion councils in India for various

product categories. They usually have a

database of suppliers and are willing to

help importers. Search for these coun-

cils and contact them via email ad-

dresses on their websites. Response

may be slow.

Do you need an agent? When you are ordering in larger quantities,

it helps to work with a sourcing agent

who can find and vet suppliers, negotiate

prices, place orders, conduct quality con-

trol and even help with logistics.

If your quantities are too small, however,

agents may not be too keen to work with

you because their fees are a percentage

of the order value (typically 10%), and if

it’s a small order, the fees might not be

worth the time and effort they put in to

finding and vetting suppliers. Many agents

have a minimum order value they will help

buyers source.

It is a catch-22 situation for new sellers -

you don’t know how to source and could

use the help of an agent, but your orders

are too small for them.

So what do you do? Here are some options:

1. DIY your first few orders. It is actually

not as scary as it looks. Go on to a sourc-

ing directory such as Global Sources or

Alibaba, search for the product, compare

suppliers, send inquiries, and

to minimize risk, place a small order of

about less than 100 pieces (may vary

from product to product). Find a good

freight forwarder who understands FBA

requirements and work with them for

labeling and shipping. Once you scale

your orders, consider going via an agent

to keep tabs on your orders, identify al-

ternative suppliers and conduct QC.

2. Work with an agent for selective services

and DIY the rest. In the entire sourcing

process, vetting suppliers is probably

26

the most difficult thing to do remotely.

Without actually visiting the factory or hav-

ing someone visit on your behalf, it can

sometimes be difficult to tell if a supplier is

really a factory, and how reliable they are.

Having an agent or an inspection compa-

ny such as QIMA vet and audit the suppli-

er you have chosen may give you more

confidence in placing your order. Agents

also have their own lists of vetted suppli-

ers, and may be able to recommend com-

panies to you from their own database.

In such cases, you would pay a flat fee to

the agent instead of a percentage of the

order value.

Once the supplier has been vetted, you

can go ahead and do the rest on your

own.

Many big retailers and buyers sourcing

products from India use buying agents

to manage their sourcing. As an Amazon

seller, as you scale production, it helps to

outsource your sourcing so you can free

yourself for focusing on other strategic as-

pects of the business.

A sourcing company may or may not

share information about the suppliers

they source from.

They also often charge a retainer fee of

a few hundred dollars before doing

product research and compiling quotes.

27

Sourcing at Trade Shows

The most relevant exhibition for Amazon

sellers to attend is the IHGF Delhi Fair that

showcases gifts and handicrafts.

This fair has been held biannually since

1994 (Spring & Autumn edition) and is

organized by Export Promotion Council

for Handicrafts. The April 2020 edition

will feature over 3,000 exhibitors spread

over 197,000 square meters.

Product categories at the fair include: • Houseware

• Christmas & Festive Decor

• Home Furnishings

• Fashion Jewelry & Accessories

• Furniture

• Carpets & Rugs

• Gifts & Decoratives

• Bathroom Accessories

• Lamps and Lighting

• Garden Decoratives

The fair is open only to foreign buyers

or buying agents in India. All exhibitors

are export-focused and generally

have a good understanding of import

requirements of various countries. Most

of them do not understand Amazon FBA

requirements though.

28

Apart from the Delhi Fair, there are other

specialized exhibitions held in various

cities in the country. But for an Amazon

seller just starting to source from India, the

Delhi Fair is the best place to go.

Most exhibitors at the Delhi Fair are

manufacturers but some are also trading

companies that outsource production to

artisans or village clusters.

Why visit a trade show There are certain advantages of visiting

a trade show that online sourcing can’t

beat.

• Get new product ideas Sourcing fairs are a great way to dis-

cover new products to source. Walk

down the aisles and you might find an

exciting new product you wouldn’t have

thought about sourcing.

• Be the first to source a new product Many suppliers launch new products at

trade shows, and these are not posted

online until the shows are over. You get

a first-mover advantage by discovering

these products.

• Be prioritized by suppliers When they meet you at a trade show,

suppliers know you’re a serious buyer as

you have invested the time and money

to visit a physical exhibition. You will

be prioritized over buyers that they

have only dealt with online.

• Speed up your sourcing When sourcing online, you have to wait

for the supplier to send you samples

before you can decide whether or not

a product is suitable for you. At trade

shows, you can shortlist products much

faster by seeing the product and asking

all your questions.

• Touch and feel products You can touch, feel and experience

products. This experience can’t be had

from behind a computer screen.

• Deepen relationships with current suppliers If your current suppliers are attending a

trade show, this is a great opportunity

to meet up with them and deepen your

relationship.

• Find manufacturers more easily At trade shows, it’s much easier to find

manufacturers, and differentiate them

from agents and trading companies. For

example, manufacturers tend to deal in

a single product line, while traders may

carry multiple product lines that require

different raw materials and different

manufacturing skills.

29

Quality Control

Quality control when sourcing from India is

no different than when sourcing from Chi-

na.

It is important to remember that there’s no

universal definition of “good quality”. This

is because quality means different things

to different people. What the production

manager of an Indian manufacturer con-

siders to be high quality, may be very dif-

ferent from what an importer in the US

has in mind.

In manufacturing, “good quality” is defined

as conformance to requirements.

Indian suppliers deal with customers from

different countries around the world, and

different buyers have their own quality

standards. Not only do quality standards

vary, but safety regulations, and testing

and certification requirements also vary

by country. Manufacturers cannot be ex-

pected to know the regulations for each

country.

It is therefore the importer’s responsibility

to clearly define their requirements and

product specifications.

QC is a set of procedures intended to

ensure that a manufactured product ad-

heres to a defined set of quality criteria

30

or meets the requirements of the client or

customer.

In other words, QC is a means to ensure

the product meets the specifications that

an importer defined when placing the order

with the supplier.

How to ensure quality

Improve communication There are a couple of ways to improve

communication with suppliers.

First, all product specifications, technical

details and other instructions should

only be communicated via product & QC

checklist documents. Avoid scattering

instructions and product specifications in

multiple emails.

It’s also important to keep communication

clear and simple. Whether you’re sending

an RFQ or asking for pricing information,

keep your language simple and sentences

short. Avoid using slang or technical jargon

that might not be understood.

You can also follow up emails with a phone

or Skype call. Even though there is no lan-

guage barrier when communicating with

India suppliers, it doesn’t hurt to call your

supplier after you’ve sent a critical email to

confirm their understanding.

Suppliers might also be more open to

asking any questions they might have

when you’re talking to them on the phone.

Give detailed product specifications Im-

porters should work directly with the supplier

to create a product specifications document,

which will help ensure the supplier clearly

understands expectations.

Never let the supplier fill in the gaps. A

product specification list must be extreme-

ly comprehensive and it should include

everything related to product design, func-

tions, materials to be used, tests that

need to be conducted, certifications that

need to be met, labeling requirements,

and packaging details. Nothing is too

small and unimportant to be left out. Don’t

take anything for granted and don’t as-

sume that the “supplier should know”.

A detailed product specs document will

minimize the chances of the supplier cut-

ting corners because of unclear instruc-

tions.

Avoid using the word “It” because it

can potentially cause confusion. When

describing your expectations, it is better

to clearly specify what you are referring

to in the text even at the risk of repeating

yourself.

The specific conditions under which the

item must meet a specific standard or

pass a specific test should be specified.

31

For e.g. if you want your product to work

in extreme temperatures, specify the min-

imum temperature, and don’t just say it

should work in a “cold climate”.

Once the product specs document has

been created, importers should go over

each item with the supplier to make sure

they understand everything clearly.

Creating a detailed product specs sheet is

especially important if you’re developing

your own product, requesting significant

changes to an existing product the supplier

has, or your product is technical with a lot

of moving parts, or there are strict safety

requirements that need to be met.

Product inspections Informing suppliers early on in the process

that a pre-shipment inspection will be done

minimizes problems later on.

If possible, payments should be tied to

inspections, which usually means 30% or

50% of the payment is done in advance

and the remaining is done after the pre-

shipment inspection is done.

The final payment should be done after an inspection is passed and the

goods are shipped out. This is stan-

dard in the

industry, and importers should not hesi-

tate to require it from suppliers.

Third party inspections are a must, espe-

cially when you place large orders. Don’t

assume because you haven’t had quality

issues before that they won’t arise in the

future. As you scale, it becomes even

more important to nail down quality

SOPs.

If you don’t have the margin in your prod-

ucts to include QC checks then odds are

that product doesn’t have the margins to

create long term viability.

However, when you are placing an initial

small order for testing a product, and

a third-party inspection would kill your

margins, you could ask the supplier to

send you photos of the final products

before shipment. This is not 100% fail

proof, but at least you can spot major

discrepancies.

You could also consider shipping the

product to yourself instead of sending it

directly to Amazon FBA.

32

Logistics and Delivery Times

Longer lead times India lacks developed infrastructure like

China’s. Roads are not as well developed

and maintained as they are in China, cus-

toms and shipping are not as efficient and

streamlined, and red tape can slow things

down.

Also, as many products are handmade,

typical delivery lead times are slightly

longer than they are in China.

Typically lead time on average is 30-

45 days but it also varies based on the

quantity, availability of materials, time of

the year among other factors. Sometimes,

orders can even be done in a week or so.

In addition, the monsoon season (June

and July) complicates things as well. In

some cities, road closures due to flooding,

slow traffic, train slowdown are some of

the effects of the heavy rains during this

time.

The factory location can sometimes add to

the lead time. For instance, sourcing and

shipping from Eastern India could take

longer than shipping from say Mumbai,

33

which is the more established port.

As an importer, you need to monitor your

delivery times more closely. Unforeseen

delays can happen so it’s always better to

build in some buffer in your delivery times.

You should also plan your timelines well

in advance, and ensure your freight for-

warder works closely with your factory

on deadlines, monitors documentation and

hands over the freight on time.

Generally, the transit time from factories

in north and south India to Nhava Sheva

port in Mumbai, is 3 to 4 days, Customs

clearance takes around one day.

From factories in north India to Mundra

port, goods are delivered with 2 to 3 days

by truck and a rail option is also available.

Most ports in India are all-season ports,

with shipping times remaining the same

throughout the year.

However, during peak shipping

seasons, there can be GRIs (Gen-

eral Rate Increases) and peak

season surcharges that impact

pricing. In addition, space planning

on vessels and aircrafts needs to

be made in advance.

Apart from base shipping charges,

here are some local charges

importers can expect:

• Customs brokerage in India

• Shipping line terminal handling fee

• Documentation fee

• VGM charges

• Labor for unloading and container

closing charges

Air freight is generally used as a last resort

when immediate replenishment is needed

at the distribution center. But for smaller

sea shipments of 1 - 2 CBM, sometimes

the cost of shipping by air equals to

that of sea. Sea freight is always more

economical when freight loads are bigger

and planning is done in advance.

The transit times of container ships from

India to the east coast of the US is 21

days, which is about the same as shipping

from China to the east coast.

However, shipping time from China to the

west coast of the US is 12-13 days, and is

34

faster than any vessel from India.

Unless there are unforeseen delays,

in most cases, Customs and shipping

line processes are fairly smooth, with

shipments handed over to the carrier

within a day.

Air freight transits are also comparable

to China and a host of airline options are

available from India.

Not many freight forwarders in India

understand the specific requirements of

FBA.

Seair Global (see profile at the end of

this eBook) is a freight forwarder familiar

with the process. They can source from

multiple factories, break freight and mix

different POs for different FBA / DCs

(Distribution Centers) at destination.

They can also label pallets as per

FBA requirements, and coordi-

nate with FBA

truckers for direct delivery

from port to the DC.

Amazon FBA seller from

Australia Margaret Jolly,

who has been sourcing

from India for a year,

has experienced long

shipping delays (because

of changing ships in Korea

and “slow steaming”). In

fact, they missed one holiday sea-

son because of a long delay. She

now has a 3PL in the US and also

works with a

Customs Broker in New Jersey instead of

using a broker in India.

“The broker liaises with India from the

moment our product leaves the factory and

is looped into all email correspondence re:

shipping. This ensures all paperwork is in

order before arrival and she handles the

customs bond,” says Margaret. She has

found this very effective.

Courier vs freight For smaller shipments, it is better to use

courier services such as Fedex or DHL

rather than air or sea freight.

When to use courier: • For sending samples

• For shipments less than 200 Kgs in

weight

35

When to use air freight: • For high value – low volume goods (that

are not extremely heavy), e.g. Tablets,

Watches, etc.

• When your goods are time-sensitive or

there is an urgent requirement

When to use sea shipping: • Once you cross the 1CBM mark you can

start looking at LCL sea shipping as an

option

Here are examples of sea shipping costs from India

Shipping cost from Nhava Sheva New York port:

Shipping cost from Nhava Sheva to Mel-bourne port:

*Prices as at April 2019. Charges are inclusive of the current peak season surcharge.

Major ports With 7,516,6 kilometers of coastline, India

is one of the largest peninsulas in the

world. About 70% of India’s trading by val-

ue and 95% by volume is carried out

through maritime transport. There are 12

major ports and 200 other ports.

Here are the key ports in the country (source: mapsofindia.com):

Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) also known as Nhava Sheva: Located in

Mumbai, Maharashtra, this is country’s

largest container port, with most consumer

goods exports from the country going from

here.

Both air freight and sea freight rates are

competitive from this port. Vessels to

Europe, US and Africa have the fastest

transit times from this port with loading

priorities.

In the financial year 2016-17, it handled

62.15 million tonnes of cargo. Most of

its cargo traffic comes from central and

southern states like Karnataka, Gujarat,

Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. It ex-

ports carpets, boneless meat, sporting

goods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textile

machinery, and textiles.

Mundra Port: This is the largest private

port of India located in the western state

of Gujarat. This is the common port for

sea

FCL

US$1,800 for 20’

US$2,330 for 40’

22 days ap-prox

LCL

US$70/CBM + documentation

fee US$50

22 days

FCL

US$650 for 20’

US$950 for 40’

28 days ap-prox

LCL

US$25/CBM 28 days ap-prox

36

shipments moving from north India. In

2016- 17, it handled 113.72 million tonnes

of cargo.

Kandla Port: Also known as Deendayal Port and Kandla Port, it is located in Kutch Dis-trict, Gujarat. It was constructed in the 1950s as the chief port for western India. In the finan-cial year 2016-17, it handled cargo of 105.44 million tons. This port mainly handles crude oil imports, as well as non-petroleum cargo.

Paradip Port: Paradip port is a deep- wa-

ter and natural port located in Jagatsingh-

pur district, Odisha. In the financial year

2017-18, it processed cargo weighing

102.01 million tons.

Port of Kolkata: Established in 1870,

this port is the oldest in India and was

constructed by the British East India

Company. In the FY 2016-17, it handled

50.95 million tons of cargo. It deals with

petroleum products, fertilizers, coal,

granite, and iron ore.

Chennai Port: Opened in 1881, this

port is also one of the oldest ones in In-

dia.

For the year 2016-17, it handled 50.21 mil-

lion tons of cargo. It mainly handles com-

modities like petroleum products, fertilizers,

coal, granite, and iron ore. Its major ex-

ports are cotton textiles, leather, and iron

ore. The major imports include iron & steel,

machinery, raw cotton, and wheat.

New Mangalore Port: This port is an

all-weather, deep-water port located in

Mangaluru, Karnataka. It handled 39.95

million tons of cargo in the year 2016-

17. Major exports of this port are cashew,

coffee, granite stones, manganese, iron

ore fines, iron ore concentrates, and pel-

lets. Major imports include finished fertiliz-

ers, timber logs, wood pulp, LPG, crude,

petroleum products and liquid chemicals

like phosphoric acid, liquid ammonia, etc.

Tuticorin Port Trust: This weather port is

also known as V.O.Chidambaranar Port.

It is located in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

It handled 38.46 million tonnes of cargo in

the financial year 2016-17. It mainly deals

with commodities like iron ore, timber

logs, fertilizer, copper concentrate, and

industrial coal. Major exports are limonite

ore, granite, sugar, liquid cargoes, build-

ing materials, and general cargo.

Ennore Port: Also known as Kamarajar

Port, this is located on the Coromandel

Coast, Chennai. It handled 30.02 million

tons of cargo in the year 2016-17. It han-

dles rock mineral products, chemicals,

LPG, project cargo, automobiles, and

thermal coal.

Cochin Port: Also known as Kochi

Port, it has completed 91 years being in

operation. It is located in Kochi city on the

sea-route of Arabian Sea – Laccadive Sea

– Indian Ocean. In the year 2016-17, it

handled cargo of 25.01 million tons.

37

Pricing and Payment Terms

Is it cheaper to source from India? Labor in India is cheaper than it is in

China, which is a big advantage India

currently has.

However, logistics, bureaucracy, the man-

ual nature of production and other chal-

lenges can increase costs for suppliers.

For e.g. electricity and water supply is

erratic so during power outages, the

factory is idle and the wasted capacity

adds up to costs.

Workers are more efficient in China

whereas they are more laid back and

strive for work-life balance in India.

In some production hubs, workers are not

easy to manage. There’s no long holiday

or mass worker migration such as that

during Chinese New Year, but there are

many days off for festivals and national

holidays.

All of these issues add up and offset the

cost savings from lower worker wages.

Some buyers have been able to lower

costs after moving sourcing to India.

Here is a case study of a bags buyer who

38

achieved a 37% decrease in price per bag

in India as compared to China. India was

even cheaper than Vietnam. Prices from

Mexico were higher than China. (Source:

Gary Huang, 80/20 Sourcing).

Overall, prices from India are competitive

or lower than China for products that In-

dia specializes in and has strong supply

chains for, such as readymade garments,

bags, textiles and textile-based products,

and handicrafts, to name a few.

Negotiating price Don’t focus on negotiating price at the

beginning of the conversation with a

supplier. Instead, talk about quality,

consistency, order volume and design

before you start negotiating price.

Negotiate on delivery times, payment

terms or other aspects before you ask

for lower prices. If you haggle on price

upfront, suppliers might not prioritize your

orders as their profitability is decreased.

You will be able to get better prices as your

order volume increases.

Similar to China, factories in India expect

buyers to negotiate and usually build in a

buffer in the price to

allow for it.

When you do nego-

tiate, expect a

longer negotiation

process with a lot of

back and forth, mul-

tiple follow-ups by

email and on the

phone.

Negotiating price may be more effective

if it is done face to face when you visit

the factory or meet the supplier at a trade

show.

Payment terms When starting out with a new supplier, they

will typically ask for 50/50 payment terms,

whereas Chinese suppliers generally work

on 30/70.

As you build a relationship with the sup-

plier and once you have placed some

regular repeat orders, these terms can be

negotiated.

Sometimes suppliers will waive off the

advance payment entirely if they trust

you.

39

Tips for Effective Sourcing

Build relationships When sourcing from India, take the time to

develop a relationship with your supplier.

After you’ve placed a few orders (and

made your payments on time) suppliers

will trust you more. Once a relationship

has been established, you will be favored

more. For e.g. you might get better prices,

better payment terms with lower or no ad-

vance payment, given longer credit times,

or not charged for samples.

Here are a few tips to build relationships and trust: • Have a good understanding of your

product so you come across as a

serious buyer

• Place a few repeat orders with the same

supplier

• Make your payments on time

• Work with your supplier as a partner

helping them improve their processes

where relevant

• Don’t negotiate excessively for low

prices, especially on small orders

• Visit the factory at least once and more

40

often if possible, especially as you start

to scale

• Visit your suppliers at trade shows, and

go out with them for meals and drinks

• Bring them gifts when you visit

• Wish them on major Indian festivals

• Ask about their children and families

• Refer them to other buyers (for non

competing products)

• Send them information and tips that

might help them expand their business.

For e.g. tell them about trade shows

they can attend in your country, or share

the latest trends from your country

that might help them with product

development

Similar to China, it is common for suppliers

in India to take their clients out for meals

or arrange trips to visit tourist locations

such as Taj Mahal.

The Indian way of life is a bit slower and

relaxed. As family and professional lives

are not rigidly separated, you may get

questions about your family, and may ask

similar questions in return.

It’s common to have small talk before

you sit down for business meetings. Safe

topics for small talk are politics, sports,

movies and India’s rich culture. Avoid

talking about religious beliefs, as well as

the conflict between Pakistan and India.

Hierarchy is important Decisions are usually made at the highest

level and hierarchy is important in Indian

business culture. At smaller companies,

decisions are typically made by the owner

of the company or if it’s a larger company,

by top managers, if they have been given

the authority.

Day-to-day communications might become

slower if your contact person needs to get

authorization for various actions.

When meeting someone face to face,

introductions occur according to rank.

Talk to the senior most person first, and

seniority is determined by the person’s

position within the company or their age.

Ask specific questions Ask specific questions that don’t require

a direct yes or no. Similar to Chinese

people, Indians don’t like saying “no” to a

question. Instead, they say “maybe,” “we’ll

see,” or even say “yes”.

This is because they want to keep all

options open and make decisions based

on specific circumstances or situations.

For e.g. when negotiating price, instead of

41

asking directly if they can reduce the price

by x amount, you could say your product

is gaining momentum and you’re planning

to increase your order volumes. If you

do increase your volumes by x amount,

would they be willing to offer you more

competitive prices. After they tell you how

much they can reduce prices, you can

decide to negotiate more depending on

your profitability.

Mix business with leisure India is an exotic country with a rich

culture and a lot to explore. It’s chaotic and

loud, colorful, yet in some strange way

peaceful as well.

There are plenty of historical places, tem-

ples, mountains and beaches. It is also

home to one of the Seven Wonders of the

World – Taj Mahal.

If you do plan a sourcing trip to India, at-

tend a trade show, visit your suppliers and

then take a few days to go around and ex-

perience the country and culture.

42

Conclusion

Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned private label eCommerce seller, India of-fers a plethora of unique and innovative products to source. Selling such products is a great way to differentiate from the thousands of other Amazon third-party sellers purchasing products from China.

The country is also a great source for eco- friendly and sustainable products, which are in high demand especially among Mil-lennials and Gen Z.

Buying from India can be intimidating as there is not a lot of information available online about sourcing best practices. However, as there is no language barrier, it can actually be easier than you think.

Take one step at a time, do your research well, get a lot info from service providers & suppliers, place small test orders before going all out, and you will be fine.

Join other like-minded sellers sourc-ing from India in our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndiaSourcing/

If sourcing from India is for you and you would like to: 1) get a crash course on India sourcing 2) be coached on finding “Amazonable”

products 3) meet with hundreds of suppliers at a

leading trade show, and 4) experience India’s culture join me on my next India Sourcing Trip – held every April and October.

43

Sab Source

Sab Source is a sourcing agency catering to Amazon and eCommerce sellers. It is founded by Gunjan Katrak – who has 25 years of India sourcing experience and is a powerhouse of knowledge and informaDon.

Hanoz Patel is the co-founder of the agency, and focuses on eco-friendly products.

Kumud Marwah is their in-house wood expert. They can help source any product from India, as well as consolidate shipments from various suppliers.

Gunjan has sourced for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Woolworth, Country Road, Kappa, Helly Hansen, Nordstrom, G3, Armani Exchange, DKNY, Mexx, Gymboree, Oshkosh, Levi's, Ecko, Truworth

Her specialDes are: Product development, negoDaDon, vendor management, supply chain management, P&L management and control.

• Contact Gunjan at gunjan@sabsource.com, Hanoz at hanoz@sabsource.com or the team at

info@sabsource.com

Panoramic Sourcing

Panoramic Sourcing specializes in apparel, fashion accessories, leather goods, and footwear. They can source wood and metal homeware as well.

They have a skilled team of in-house designers and merchandisers who are experts in the process of design-to-shelf.

Among their clients are bouDques, wholesalers, importers, online retailers and large fashion retailers across the globe.

They are based in Noida, which is adjacent to Delhi, the capital of India.

Rajat is Business Partner at Panoramic. He has 15 years’ of experience in sourcing, order management, sampling, vendor management and import documentaDon.

Global bands he has sourced for include Tom Tailor, Abercrombie & Fitch, Roots Canada, AriDzia, Prana, Drykorn, Celio.

• Contact Rajat at markeDng@panoramicsourcing.com • Website: www.panoramicsourcing.com

Sourcing Agencies

Service Providers & Amazon Consultants

44

Veritas Sourcing

Josh Hoffman started traveling to India over 7 years ago as a buying agent, and moved into the sourcing agent role 4 years ago.

In 2020, he started Veritas Sourcing LLC to focus on product categories that are mov-ing out of China into neighboring countries. While specializing in India, he has connec-Dons in Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Turkey.

He sources for small to medium enterprises, and is currently working with buyers for some of mass-market retailers in the US.

The products he is focusing on currently are fabricated metal assemblies and machined items, natural and manu-factured stone, plasDcs, furniture, and electronics. He has experience sourcing a range of other products includ-ing home decor (kitchen items, ceramics, utensils), home furnishings (rugs, poufs, cushions), home decor metal items, leather, jute, canvas, wooden items, and others.

Josh is originally from Minnesota, USA and graduated with BS in Engineering. He currently spends the majority of his Dme based in North India.

• Contact Josh at josh@veritas-sourcing.com • Website: www.veritas-sourcing.com

45

Seair Global

Seair is one of the few logisDcs service providers in India that understand the require-ments of Amazon and e-commerce sellers. Their vision is to simplify the logisDcs expe-rience and boost it with technology.

They offer air freight, sea freight, customs brokerage, and warehousing services. With offices and warehouses in the UK, US and India, Seair is able to offer e-commerce sell-ers fulfilment and warehousing services.

Sameeksha Sachdeva is President, Seair, and has 11 years of experience in the supply chain industry. She has been working closely with Amazon sellers for the last year, and understands their pain points.

She paDently responds to any logisDcs-related quesDons from newbie Amazon sellers by email or on Facebook.

• Contact Sameeksha at sameeksha.s@seaironline.com • Website: www.seaironline.com

Unicargo

Freight forwarder Unicargo specializes in Amazon FBA services. Almost 80%-85% of their clients are Amazon sellers, and they also offer IOR services for sellers who don’t have a US-based company.

They offer end-to-end services such as air & ocean freight, express shipping, air consol-idaDon (consolidaDng cargo with other sellers to save money on shipments), logisDcs planning, trucking & delivery, and customs clearance.

They have 60 employees around the world – 30 in Israel and the rest in the US, China, Turkey, Germany and Italy.

Refael Albaz is the CEO of Unicargo. He started working in logisDcs 12 years ago at the age of 22. Aler working for a few different companies, he learnt about Amazon FBA by chance, and realized online selling was a fast-growing industry.

In 2014, he established Unicargo, which was then among the first companies to offer specialized logisDcs services to FBA sellers.

• Contact Refael at refael@unicargo.com or his team at info@unicargo.com • Get a quote at hmps://www.unicargo.com/quote/

Freight Forwarders

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QIMA

QIMA is a global QC and compliance service provider that partners with brands, retail-ers and importers around the world to secure, manage and opDmize their global sup-ply chain. They perform Supplier Audits, Product InspecDons and Lab TesDng, and serve clients in 120 countries.

They provide on-site inspecDons anywhere in India within 48 hours for US$309 / man-day.

Rahul Chawla is Senior Business Development Manager at QIMA. He has been in the QC industry for more than 11 years.

• Contact Rahul at rahul.chawla@qima.com • Website: www.qima.com/quality-control-india

Umesh BharA – Independent Quality Inspector

Umesh has more than 22 years’ experience conducDng QC and inspecDons on hard goods (metal, wood) exported from India. He has worked for various buying houses, and has been freelancing since 2015.

He has strong product knowledge in almost all types of handicral products. He is based in Moradabad, which is the producDon hub for metal and wooden products for exports.

Some brands he has worked for (directly and via buying agents) include Pomery Barn, M/S William Sonoma, Target Stores, Two's Company, Bath & Body Work.

• Contact Umesh at bharD.umesh@gmail.com

RSJ InspecAon

RSJ InspecDon is one of the leading QC and inspecDon companies in India. While they specialise in inspecDons, they also offer other services including factory audit, social compliance audit, technical audit, SMETA audit, lab test management, producDon follow-up, sample pick-up, document verificaDon, producDon follow-up, and more.

Founded in 2009, RSJ is an ISO-17020 accredited 3rd party company. They cover a va-riety of products such as texDles, hard goods, leather, apparel, electrical and more.

RSJ adopts technology to keep their clients updated on inspecDons progress in real-Dme.

• Contact Prasanna at prasanna@rsjqa.com • Website: www.rsjqa.com

InspecAons & TesAng

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E-Commerce Wala

E-Commerce Wala is a US run agency located in India that specializes in Amazon seller services.

They offer full brand management on Amazon, and services like product photography, Photoshop & videography, content wriDng (using keyword research) & overall brand consultancy.

Aaron Hughes, founder of E-Commerce Wala, is an American living and working in In-dia.

Aaron is passionate about helping Amazon entrepreneurs build their brands on and off Amazon.

He is a successful Amazon seller himself, and sources all his products from India

• Contact Aaron at aaron@ecommercewala.in • Website: www.e-commercewala.com

Rishabh Dheer

Rishabh Dheer is a lawyer pracDsing in New Delhi, India.

His pracDse includes civil and commercial liDgaDon before the Supreme Court of India, High Court of Delhi and other legal forums. He focuses on civil and commercial law-related disputes including arbitraDon, contract negoDaDon and draling, intellectual property mamers and offers consultancy and advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses.

He has appeared as a junior counsel in several complex commercial disputes resulDng in over 35 reported judgments. In 2019, he filed a Public Interest LiDgaDon Dtled

‘Rishabh Dheer v. Union of India’ for the provision of legal aid and indigency provisions in arbitraDon proceed-ings hitherto unavailable in India. Consequently, significant amelioraDve acDon has followed.

Recently, he was awarded the presDgious Chevening Scholarship offered by the U.K. Government to pursue a ful-ly-funded Masters Programme from the University of Cambridge.

His previous work inter alia includes working for a Judge at the High Court of Delhi, a Senior Advocate, and a Union Minister in the Indian Cabinet.

• Contact Rishabh at: rishabhdheer@gmail.com

Photography and Account Management

Lawyer

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Margaret Jolly

Margaret Jolly is the Founder and CEO of Profit Improvement Business SoluDons.

She became a Mentor to Small Business aler owning and managing several busi-nesses and is also a successful Amazon Seller who has been sourcing products from India for over 2 years.

Whether you are a new to Amazon and require guidance lisDng your first product or a more experienced seller looking for help with lisDngs, opDmizaDon, images or other informaDon, Margaret can help.

Her goal is to guide you on your journey and grow your brand that will make an impact on your customers. She will teach you how to find products that will sell and cral lisDngs that convert.

Her truthful no nonsense approach ensures you know exactly what the real costs of this business are and how best to manage your Amazon account to maximize your profit.

• Contact Margaret at: mjprofitsoluDons4u@gmail.com • Website: hmp://profiDmprovementbusinesssoluDons.com

Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas has been selling on Amazon for 5 years. Whether you’re just starDng out and don’t even have an Amazon Seller Account or if you’re an experienced seller, Chris can help.

He coaches scores of students at all different levels and has seen all the mistakes people make. His job is to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes and fast-track you towards financial success.

There are a lot of courses available, but from Chris’s experience, 1 on 1 coaching is the most effecDve way to help you reach your potenDal.

Courses can help you build a foundaDon, so Chris recommends you take one for the fundamentals. Having him as your coach running alongside you will help you maintain the most important aspect to becoming an en-trepreneur…

Accountability. Chris can work with you to maintain your momentum, your focus and your ulDmate success.

• Contact Chris at: chris@christhomas.com.au • Website: www.theaustralianseller.com

Ecommerce / Amazon Consultants

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eComEngine

For over a decade, eComEngine has helped Amazon sellers in over 100 countries and 15 marketplaces. Their powerful solware helps sellers manage feedback, in-ventory, sourcing, pricing and more.

Their team of Amazon experts are very helpful, reach out to them for a free consul-taDon.

Here are some of the tools they offer:

• FeedbackFive: Automate your requests through Amazon Buyer-Selling Messaging or the New Request a Review messaging system. Improve your feedback score, rank higher, and sell more.

• RestockPro: Get accurate forecasDng and restock suggesDons with RestockPro. Streamline your FBA inventory management.

• MarketScout: Get fast and accurate Amazon market research on FBA items before you add them to your inven-tory. Affordable pay-as-you-go pricing allows you to conduct Amazon product research at any Dme.

PPC Ninja

PPC Ninja offers Amazon PPC automaDon tools and services for sellers, agencies and brands. Their unique Excel-like PPC automaDon tools come with tons of pre-built bulk operaDons that help you skip wasteful csv based operaDons and carry out your PPC management tasks with ease.

They offer a free 6-week mastermind program to anyone who joins PPC Ninja to help you get the fundamentals right.

In addiDon, they also provide one on-one coaching and consulDng services to anyone who needs help with their PPC strategy.

Ritu Java is the CEO of PPC Ninja. She has been in the eCommerce industry for over 10 years and is passionate about helping sellers with Amazon PPC strategies that actually work.

• Contact Ritu at ritu@ppcninja.com • Website: PPC Ninja

Amazon tools

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AVASK AccounAng & Business Consultants

AVASK is an internaDonal firm of Chartered Accountants and Indirect Tax experts who specialise in cross-border e-commerce soluDons, internaDonal taxaDon and business advisory services for online entrepreneurs.

They have been working with Amazon since 2014, and they are currently rated 5 stars on Amazon SPN. AVASK currently assists thousands of e-tailers with their expansion into new marketplaces in Europe, North America, the Middle and Far East, Australasia and beyond. Their goal is to empower e-commerce entrepreneurs to unlock their global online selling potenDal and provide them with bespoke advice and support for every aspect of their business needs.

Their team of Tax Advisors and e-commerce expansion experts are available for a free consultaDon.

• Contact AVASK at expansion@avaskgroup.com

• AlternaDvely, book a free consultaDon with Jacob McQuoid or Piers Eveleigh

• Visit their website: AVASK Group

• Download the AVASK Brexit eBook, the ulDmate guide to navigate the new e-commerce landscape from 1st January 2021: Brexit eBook

Virtual India Sourcing Show

Virtual India Sourcing Show (VISS) is the world’s FIRST and ONLY monthly sourcing show where vemed manufacturers from India are interviewed in live interacDve we-binars.

VISS is held over two days every month, and each session is 3 to 4 hours long.

Not only does VISS help global Amazon / eCommerce sellers find reliable suppliers to source from, the show also educates the audience on sourcing best pracDces.

The informaDve, engaging and entertaining show is co-hosted by sourcing industry veteran Meghla Bhardwaj, and experi-enced Amazon sellers Margaret Jolly & Kevin Oldham, who have been imporDng from India for over 2 years.

Here’s a Facebook playlist of all VISS episodes.

AccounAng service

Virtual India Sourcing Show

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Join the “India Sourcing For Amazon FBA” Facebook Group:

www.facebook.com/groups/IndiaSourcing

Disclaimer: Do your own due diligence before working with any of these companies. India Sourcing Trip or the Admins of India Sourcing for Amazon FBA Facebook group do not endorse these companies, and take no responsibility for their acEons.

India Sourcing Trip may receive an affiliate fee if you uElise the services of these companies.

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www.IndiaSourcingTrip.com

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