Three kinds of buyer, three kinds of channel
Ask first who you want to reach. The answer points to a channel.
- New buyers who search. IndiaMART, Alibaba.com, TradeIndia and ExportersIndia put your product where a buyer types a product name. They bring enquiries, and you reply.
- Buyers who already know you. A website, a LinkedIn Page and a clear catalogue help a buyer who met you at a fair, or heard your name, to check you. Repeat buyers come back this way.
- Introductions through a government-backed body. EPCs, the Trade Connect portal of DGFT and fairs start a talk with an official name behind it.
In our view a young exporter does well with one of each kind, kept small. Say a maker of steel kitchenware lists on one marketplace, builds a plain product page and joins its EPC. The example is made up. Each channel does one job, so the maker can tell which one works.
Why the buyer check matters more than the channel
Read the table again. IndiaMART's marks describe sellers. Alibaba.com's Verified Supplier is a check on the seller. TradeIndia calls its sellers verified and trusted. ExportersIndia has a label for verified members, and the page says no more about how it works.
IndiaMART's page also says it is a matchmaking platform and is not directly involved in transactions. It says payment and delivery terms are set between buyer and seller. So an enquiry is a lead, not an order. The safety comes from your own checks.
That is why the checklist below has more steps than the channel table has rows. Do the steps for every new buyer, whichever channel sent them.
The government layer
India's government runs several pages and bodies that help exporters. Here is what each one says about itself, as of 17 October 2026.
DGFT and the IEC
DGFT is the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Its home page calls the Importer Exporter Code (IEC) "a key business identification number which is mandatory for Exports or Imports". It also says no person shall make any import or export except under an IEC granted by DGFT. The page says the IEC number is the same as the PAN of the firm.
The same page warns that some websites copy DGFT's look and collect money for DGFT services, including IEC certificates. It says to apply only through dgft.gov.in. If a site asks you to pay for a DGFT paper, check the address first.
Trade Connect and the Export Promotion Mission
The Trade Connect ePlatform is a DGFT site. Its home page lists Buyer Connect, with the line "Discover global buyers and explore international trade opportunities across diverse product categories". It also lists Country Guide, Product Guide, Tariff Explorer, Trade Events Worldwide and Ask an Expert. We could not read the Buyer Connect rules as text, so open the page and read them before you rely on it.
DGFT's home page also describes the Export Promotion Mission. It names two parts. NIRYAT PROTSAHAN is about access to trade finance. NIRYAT DISHA covers export quality and compliance, branding and packaging, market access, logistics and warehousing, and trade intelligence. The page gives no rules or dates for either, so read DGFT's own notice before you plan around them.
The Indian Trade Portal
The Indian Trade Portal says "Data Updated as on 13/10/2026" on its home page. It holds trade alerts, trade events, trade statistics and a page called How to Export from India. That page lists these steps. Choose a business form, get a PAN and open a current account with a bank that handles foreign exchange. Register for GST, get an IEC and get an RCMC. Then register on ICEGATE, and register your bank accounts for shipping bills and refunds. The page cites the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20, so use it as a map and check each step with DGFT or a customs broker.
ECGC Limited
ECGC Limited says it was set up in 1957 and calls itself "essentially an export promotion organization". Its overview page, updated 25 September 2026, says it provides credit risk insurance covers to exporters and "information on credit-worthiness of overseas buyers". Its products page, updated 28 July 2026, names policies such as the Small Exporters Policy, the Micro Exporter Policy, the Exports (Specific Buyer) Policy and the Specific Shipments Policy.
ECGC's FAQ page shows no date, so read the current version. It says that for the buyer-wise policy the proposal has to be sent before the shipments, and cover starts from the date ECGC receives it. Under the standard policy, commercial risks are covered only if ECGC approves a credit limit on each buyer. For one policy it says the buyer must not be on a list of buyers against whom ECGC has received an adverse notice. It says the list can be checked on its website. It lists exchange rate changes, and quality disputes raised by the buyer, among the risks not covered. Ask ECGC which policy fits your case.
Export promotion councils
Councils help exporters of one product group. EPCH, for handicrafts, says it was set up as a non-profit in 1986-87 and lists membership links for applying and renewing. AEPC, for apparel, lists a Members Directory, Virtual Showrooms and a way to renew an RCMC. GJEPC lists IIJS shows for gems and jewellery. Start at the Indian Trade Portal's list of export promotion bodies and find the council for your product.
A 30-day plan for your first export enquiry flow
This plan is our own framing, not a rule. It suits a firm that has a product ready and wants a first flow of enquiries. Adjust it to your product and your team.
- Days 1 to 5. Choose and check. Pick one product line and two or three countries. Read the Country Guide and Product Guide on Trade Connect. Confirm your IEC is in place and that your bank handles foreign exchange.
- Days 6 to 12. Build the proof. Write one page per product with specifications, minimum order, packing, delivery time and photos. Put your full company name, address and registration details on the site. Make a short catalogue as a PDF.
- Days 13 to 18. Be findable. Create your LinkedIn Page. List on one marketplace. Ask your EPC for its member directory or fair list.
- Days 19 to 24. Reply fast. Write short reply templates for price, samples and delivery. Set a rule to answer every enquiry the same working day. Run the buyer check from the list below on each new name.
- Days 25 to 30. Count. Note how many enquiries came, from which channel, how many fit your product, how many asked for samples and how many went further. Keep the channel that gave the closest fit. Pause the rest.
Where marketing helps
Marketing does not replace the buyer check. It makes the check easier for the buyer, and it makes your enquiries better. We state no results here.
- Website and product pages. A buyer who finds you on a marketplace may open your own site next. Our website design and development work focuses on clear product pages that load on a phone.
- Catalogues. A short, clean catalogue with specifications saves a buyer's time. See our catalogue design page.
- LinkedIn. A company Page, steady posts about your plant and your people, and polite follow-up with buyers you meet. See LinkedIn B2B lead generation.
- Follow-up. Do not let an enquiry go cold. Keep a sheet of every enquiry, what you sent and when you will write next.
Our exporters page explains how we work with Indian companies that sell abroad.
After you pick your channels, we plan the outreach and follow-up: see export lead generation, and for your site and catalogue see website and catalogue for exporters.
How to measure a channel
Count the same few numbers for every channel, every month. Likes and views say little. These say more.
- Enquiries received.
- Enquiries that fit your product, minimum order and countries.
- Enquiries that passed your buyer check.
- Samples sent.
- Orders won, and the time from first message to order.
- What you spent on the channel, in rupees and in staff time.
Review the sheet once a month. Give each channel at least a full quarter before you judge it. Use the first 30 days only to learn how many enquiries fit. This is our view.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating an enquiry as an order. Check the buyer first.
- Joining every platform at once. You cannot reply to all of them well.
- Paying a site that claims to speak for DGFT. Apply only through dgft.gov.in.
- Shipping a big first order on open terms. Start small and agree terms in writing.
- Skipping the insurance question. ECGC says cover starts from the date it receives a proposal. Ask before you ship.
- Slow replies. A buyer who has written to several makers may carry on with the one who answered first. This is our view.
Check every new buyer
The checklist below is our own plain-language list. Where a step rests on an official page, the step names the page. It is not a complete legal check, and it does not replace the advice of your bank.
Information, not legal or financial advice. Export and payment rules change. Check with your bank, a CA or the official page before you ship or take payment.
