We cannot tell you who the best sourcing agent in India is, and anyone who names one without knowing your product is selling something. What you can do is shortlist a reliable, trusted agent by testing each candidate against the same checks.
That is the approach below. It works for any agent, including us. We are one of the firms you may be comparing, so we have written this as a method, not a ranking.
Why "best" depends on your product
An agent that is excellent for packed foods may know little about cast metal parts. The best agent for you has handled products like yours, in the region where they are made, for buyers in your market. So begin with fit, then move to trust.
Check one: is the business real?
Ask for the company's legal name, registration details and registered address. An exporter-facing firm in India should be able to show an Importer Exporter Code and a business registration, among others. Read registrations an Indian agent should have, then follow how to verify an agent is registered and check them on the official registers rather than on a PDF the agent sends.
Check two: who pays the agent?
Reliability and independence go together. If the factory pays the agent, the agent's incentive is to close the deal, not to protect you. Ask directly, and ask for the contract wording. Our guide on checking your agent takes nothing from factories lists the questions.
Check three: references and proof of work
A trusted agent can show its work. Ask for these, and be wary of any firm that cannot provide them:
- A sample audit report with the client's name removed, so you can see the depth of the checks.
- A sample inspection and loading report with photos and seal numbers.
- A reference from a buyer in your country or in a similar product line, which you contact yourself.
- A written fee proposal that names each deliverable.
Compare the sample audit against what a factory audit should contain. A report made of generic praise and stock photos is a poor sign.
Check four: how independent is the inspection?
An agent that inspects its own sourcing is marking its own homework. That can be fine when it is open about it and when you can add a third-party inspection. Ask whether the agent will arrange an international inspection company on request, and whether you pay the inspection firm at cost. See agent inspection vs third-party inspection.
Check five: red flags in how they behave
- Guaranteed lowest price before they have seen your specification.
- A refusal to name the factory until you have paid.
- A request to pay the agent's account for the goods rather than the factory.
- A reply that never asks you a question.
- Pressure to decide within a day or two.
A simple scoring method
Put three candidates in a short table in your own notes. Score each one from zero to two on the five checks above, then add the scores. Do not choose on the total alone. Any firm that scores zero on who pays, or on showing the factory's name, drops out whatever its other scores.
Then hold a call with the top two and give each the same small test: ask how they would verify a supplier for your product. The better answer is usually obvious.
Questions to put to every candidate
- Who will visit my factory, are they your own staff, and can I see how they are trained?
- How do you take a sample so the factory cannot swap it?
- What do you do when a laboratory result is borderline?
- How is your fee set, and what do I pay on top at cost?
- What happens to my information if we stop working together?
Reliable firms answer these plainly and in writing. Vague answers, or answers that change between calls, are worth more to you as a warning than any testimonial is as comfort. Also remember that no review site or directory can vouch for an agent on your product, and some earn money from the firms they list, so use them to find names and not to judge them.
How we work
Creston & Company is registered with the Government of India (IEC and Udyam) and was founded in 2019. We are paid one written fee agreed in advance, take nothing from factories, and you pay the factory directly. We cannot tell you we are the best, but you can run the five checks on us. Start with a free sourcing review and ask for any of the documents above.