7-10 working days
18-25 days from PO approval
50 units (furniture) to 500 (glass/textile)
6 primary + adjacent
24-point qualification
5-7% of FOB or project fixed fee
How SKU-level product sourcing works
Product sourcing starts with a written brief. A photograph, a competitor sample, a technical drawing or a mood board — whatever captures your intent. We convert that into a feasibility memo within 7 days that documents: which cluster makes it, indicative MOQ and lead time, indicative FOB, what compliance regime applies, and what design changes (if any) we recommend to hit your target retail.
If the memo greenlights the SKU, we build a shortlist of 2-3 factories that can produce it at scale. Each factory is pre-screened against a 24-point qualification form — legal status, machine count, employee count, current utilisation, top three references, sample portfolio, and certification stack (BSCI / Sedex / ISO 9001 / FSC / GOTS / GRS as relevant to your compliance regime).
Once you approve the shortlist, we procure samples in parallel from the top 1-2 factories, photograph the build process, and ship the samples to your studio within 18-25 days. Sample approval gates the bulk PO; we then negotiate volume pricing and lock capacity 30-60 days ahead of production start.
Product sourcing across the six verticals
Lighting sourcing
Brass and mixed-media pendants, chandeliers, sconces, table and floor lamps. Moradabad (brass hand-spinning + electroplating) and Firozabad (hand-blown glass shades). MOQ typically 500 units per SKU. CE / UKCA / cULus compliance built in. See /categories/lighting.
Furniture sourcing
Solid wood dining, bedroom, seating and occasional; iron industrial; upholstered. Jodhpur (industrial + solid wood, MOQ 50) and Saharanpur (hand-carved wood + inlay). FSC-certified where required. Moisture-controlled at 10-12%. See /categories/furniture.
Home décor sourcing
Ceramic vases and planters, mixed-media gifting boxes, candle programs, decorative sculpture. Jaipur (blue pottery, GI-tag), Noida (mixed-media assembly), Saharanpur (carved wood décor). MOQ 300 units. FDA / Prop 65 lead-and-cadmium tested. See /categories/home-decor.
Textile sourcing
Throws, cushion covers, rugs, table and bed linen, soft furnishings. Panipat (recycled-yarn programs, GRS-certified), Jaipur (block-print Bagru + Sanganer). MOQ 500 units per colourway. Colour-fastness + Martindale + fibre composition lab-tested. See /categories/textile.
Brass & metalware sourcing
Decorative ware, architectural metal, bar and barware, sculpture. Moradabad — India's Brass City since the Mughal era. Sand-cast, centrifugal, gravity die, hand-spun, CNC-spun. Salt-spray ASTM B117 tested. See /categories/brass-metalware.
Fashion accessories sourcing
Handbags, small leather goods, polki/kundan/meenakari jewellery, silver cuffs, embroidered apparel (kaftans, robes, abayas). Jaipur + Delhi NCR. LWG-certified hides; BIS-hallmarked silver; EN 1811 nickel-release tested. MOQ 100 units. See /categories/fashion-accessories.
What separates real product sourcing from a directory search
The internet is full of India-sourcing platforms, directories and marketplaces. They solve a different problem — lead generation for factories, not curation for buyers. Real product sourcing has three components that no directory provides.
- Physical factory visits — every recommendation is a factory our team has walked, not a listing we clicked.
- Sample supervision — our inspector photographs the build process on the factory floor before samples ship.
- Buyer-side accountability — we are paid by you, not by the factory. Zero factory commissions. Ever.
- Pricing transparency — factory FOB is disclosed separately from our fee on every invoice. You always know what the factory quoted vs what you're paying us.
- Long-tail SKU sourcing — directory platforms are optimised for repeat-purchase categories; India excels at long-tail craft SKUs where every design is one-off. Real sourcing is where that value lives.
Commercial structure — project fee or % of FOB
Product sourcing is priced per-project, either as a percentage of FOB (5-7% typical) or a fixed project fee for smaller SKU counts. Both structures are transparent — invoiced separately from the factory's Proforma Invoice, never marked-up into the factory quote.
Frequently asked
ProductSourcingIndia—commonquestions.
How long does product sourcing take from brief to shortlist?
7-10 working days from a complete brief to a written shortlist of 2-3 vetted factories per SKU. Samples land 18-25 days after shortlist approval. Full first PO in 60-90 days including sample rounds and negotiation.
What's the minimum order quantity you can source at?
By vertical: furniture 50 units, fashion accessories 100 units, home décor 300 units, brass and textile 500 units, lighting 500 units, glass 1,000 units. Occasional lower MOQ negotiable on first POs for first-time buyers.
Do you source outside your six primary verticals?
Yes — we scope adjacent categories on request. Common examples: outdoor furniture, ceramic tableware, leather upholstery, recycled-PET soft goods, incense, essential oils, natural stone décor. We are honest about fit on the first call.
How is product sourcing different from acting as our buying agent?
Product sourcing is SKU-level and project-scoped — you engage us for a specific product or range. Buying agent is program-level and ongoing — a persistent relationship covering everything from RFQs to shipment. Product sourcing is the entry point for many buyers; several graduate to buying-agent or buying-office engagements once volume stabilises.
Do you handle sampling costs or do we pay them directly?
You pay sample costs (factory rate + courier) via us. We advance sample fees where relationship allows and invoice at cost with no markup. Typical sample fees: $60-650 per SKU depending on complexity.
Can you source products with specific certifications (FSC, GOTS, GRS)?
Yes — we filter shortlists by required certification. Common stacks: FSC for wood, GOTS for organic cotton, GRS for recycled textile, LWG for leather, BIS for silver, EN 71 for children's products. Certificate copies attached to every shortlist.
Where this fits
Adjacentservices,categoriesandclusters.
Related services
Product categories we cover
Manufacturing clusters served
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