For a straightforward product, finding and approving a new supplier in India usually takes several weeks. In our own process, the time from first call to a signed purchase contract is typically about six weeks, with production and dispatch on top.
That is a typical figure, not a promise. The product, the testing and how fast decisions are made on both sides all change it.
Where the time goes
- Agreeing the brief: product, specification, volume, destination and timing.
- Building a long list and checking registrations and references.
- Visiting and auditing the shortlisted factories.
- Collecting samples, couriering them and waiting for laboratory results.
- Writing the specification, negotiating terms and signing the contract.
What makes it longer
Some products need more time at one or more stages. Plan for it rather than hope it away.
- Custom products need the factory to make a new sample, which can take longer than sending stock.
- Tests with long methods, or tests at more than one laboratory, add waiting time.
- Regulated products may need certificates or registrations in your market before the first order.
- Seasonal crops can only be sampled and booked at certain times of year.
- A failed sample sends you back to the shortlist.
- Slow sign-off on your side adds time at every stage.
How to keep it short
Most delays come from missing information, not slow factories. Send a clear brief at the start. Our guide on what to send for a sourcing quote lists what helps. Decide quickly at each sign-off point, and agree in advance who on your side approves samples.
Do not skip steps to save time. Ordering before an audit or a lab result is the usual route to a container that fails on arrival. Repeat orders are faster, because the search, audit and sampling stages are already done. That is one more reason to qualify a backup supplier while you have time, rather than in a hurry after a failure.
Running steps in parallel
Some steps can overlap. Background checks on one factory can run while another is being visited. Sample collection can be arranged during the audit visit. A draft specification can be written while the laboratory works. A good agent plans this from the start, so the calendar is shorter without any check being dropped.
Production comes after
Approval is not delivery. Once the contract is signed, the factory's lead time, the inspection and the sea voyage still lie ahead. Ask the factory for its lead time in writing, and build in a margin. The full sequence is laid out on how it works.
Next step
Tell us your product and when you need the first lot, and we will tell you whether the timing is realistic. Book a free sourcing review.