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Find candidates through relevant directories, trade channels and sector contacts, then verify each business independently before you commit. A listing, introduction or polished certificate is a lead—not proof that a company is legitimate, authorized, capable of delivering, or a good fit for your order.
Start with the country, product and business role
Before searching, define what you need and where you need it. Name the product or service, target country, order size, required delivery date and any market-specific compliance needs. Then decide whether you need a manufacturer, processor, exporter, distributor or commercial intermediary. Those roles are not interchangeable: an exporter may not make the product, and an introduction to a distributor is not evidence that it can serve your market.
India’s discovery resources include government platforms and directories, but their scope differs. Across African markets, start with the specific country and sector: registry procedures, licences and competent authorities vary, so a general regional contact cannot settle a company’s legal status in every jurisdiction.
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Where to find candidates
India: use the directory that fits the product
- Trade Connect / Source from India: The Government of India describes Trade Connect as a source of trade information, services, market intelligence and institutional support. Its Source from India feature can help buyers discover eligible Indian exporters and review product and business profiles. Check the live platform for current eligibility rules and features; these can change.
- APEDA Exporter’s Directory: Use this product-searchable directory for exporters and products within APEDA’s remit. Its live search includes filters such as state, exporter type and product. It is not a general directory for every Indian industry.
- Sector and trade contacts: Use relevant trade promotion bodies and industry contacts to find additional leads, then apply the same independent checks to each one.
India’s National Government Services Portal lists an exporter/importer licence-status service that directs users to ICEGATE; login is required. The Export Inspection Council (EIC) describes inspection, certification, laboratory and certificate-verification services for applicable products. These resources can support relevant checks, but they do not replace confirming which rules apply to your product and transaction.
African markets: identify the competent authority in the target country
First name the country and product or distribution channel. Find that country’s competent business registry and the relevant sector licensing, export or standards authority. Do not assume that one pan-African directory or a regional intermediary establishes legal status across borders.
Build a shortlist through sector contacts, trade-promotion and market-access channels, and targeted research. For a distributor, assess the territory it covers, relevant channel relationships, sector experience, sales or service capability, actual distribution capacity and access to the decision-maker. A commercial intermediary may make introductions, but an introduction is neither an appointment nor proof of performance.
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If your team lacks local capacity or the transaction exposure is high, a local due-diligence provider may assist with registry and ownership checks, document review, site visits, capacity checks and references. Specify which checks you require and treat the provider’s own claims as claims to assess—not as a guarantee.
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Verify a candidate before paying a deposit
Work through the checks below in order. The depth of checking should reflect the product risk, order value and requirements of the destination market. Ask for records and independently verify important claims rather than treating documents supplied by the candidate as self-authenticating.
- Confirm legal identity. Request the exact registered entity name, registration number, address, tax identifier where applicable, and the names of directors or authorized representatives. Match the details against the competent official registry or authority in the relevant country. Check that the entity named in the registry is the same one making the offer and expected to contract.
- Confirm the contact and their authority. Establish the person’s role and signing authority. Contact the firm through details you source independently, not only the phone number or email in an unsolicited offer. Verify any important change of contact or payment instructions through that independently obtained channel.
- Establish the business role and capacity. Ask whether the candidate is the producer, processor, exporter, distributor or an intermediary. Request evidence relevant to the order—such as facility, equipment, storage, production or handling capacity, quality processes and shipment capability. Judge whether it fits your volume, product and schedule; a general company profile does not demonstrate capacity for your specific order.
- Match product, entity and compliance documents. Check that permits and certificates name the relevant legal entity, product and facility, where those details apply. Verify certificates with the issuing authority or issuer and confirm the country- and commodity-specific requirements with the responsible agency. For applicable Indian products, the EIC describes services including inspection, laboratory testing, export certificates, health certificates and certificates of origin; the relevant requirement depends on the product and transaction.
- Check track record independently. Request buyer references and, where appropriate, evidence of previous shipments or export documents. Contact references using independently checked channels. A document or reference can support a claim, but neither by itself establishes that the candidate will perform on your order.
- Set the payment and contract terms. Confirm that the payment beneficiary is consistent with the contracting entity. Independently verify any changed bank details before sending funds. Approve samples or written specifications, and put quality criteria, inspection expectations, delivery dates and required documents into the agreement. Keep the initial financial exposure proportionate to what you have been able to verify and the risks involved.
- Record unresolved gaps. Note what you could not confirm. Use those gaps to decide whether to seek more evidence, arrange an inspection, adjust the order size or payment terms, or stop. Verification reduces uncertainty; it cannot guarantee future performance.
Compare shortlisted suppliers and distributors
Use a consistent scorecard rather than relying on the most persuasive sales presentation. Set the importance of each factor according to the product, order size and destination-market requirements. For distributors, add the market and channel measures in the second row.
| Assessment area | What to check |
|---|---|
| Legal standing and authority | Does the official record match the contracting entity, and can the contact represent or sign for it? |
| Role and product fit | Is the candidate the manufacturer, processor, exporter, distributor or intermediary it claims to be? Does its experience fit the product and order? |
| Capacity and quality | Do facility, equipment, storage, capacity and quality-process evidence fit the order? Are relevant certificates valid with the issuer? |
| Track record and delivery | Can independently contacted references and appropriate shipment evidence support the candidate’s claims? Can it meet delivery and documentation requirements? |
| Payment and contract alignment | Does the beneficiary match the contracting entity? Are specifications, inspection, quality, delivery and documents defined in writing? |
| Distributor territory and channel | Which territory and channels can it actually serve? Does it have relevant relationships, sales or service capability, distribution capacity and decision-maker access? |
Use official resources for the claims they can establish
India’s National Portal describes Trade Connect as helping exporters access information on market regulations, sectors, export trends and free-trade agreement benefits. The Government of India’s Trade Connect announcement and the live platform describe a discovery and trade-support function—not a guarantee that every listed business is suitable or reliable. Likewise, APEDA’s directory applies to its relevant products and exporters, while ICEGATE and EIC checks apply only where relevant to the transaction.
For African markets, identify the official registry and sector authority for the specific country rather than treating a private directory or verification provider as the authority. Even where a provider can help with local checks, define the exact records, contacts, facilities and claims it should verify.
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