Step 1: Pick one product and one market
Start with one product that already sells well at home, and one country or region. A narrow start gives you one catalogue, one email, one fair and one set of papers to get right.
Then describe the buyer in a few lines. Is it an importer who buys a container a month? A distributor who supplies shops? A shop owner who wants a small lot? A brand that wants goods made under its own name? Each one asks different questions about price, order size and delivery time.
The table above shows where Indian goods already go. Over the whole country, goods exports were US$441.78 billion in 2025-26 against US$437.70 billion the year before, a rise of 0.93 per cent. With services, total exports were an estimated US$860.09 billion (Department of Commerce release, 15 April 2026, a first estimate that can be revised). In April to August 2026, goods exports were US$215.91 billion against US$183.21 billion a year earlier, up 17.85 per cent (release of 15 September 2026). The same release names Singapore, China, the USA, Tanzania and Malaysia among the top five destinations by change in value, all with growth.
These numbers describe the whole country, not your product. Use them to check that buyers for your kind of goods exist, then look for a gap you can fill. A big market also means many Indian sellers going after the same buyer.
What this means for how you present yourself
- Name your target market on the first screen of your website, for example a line saying which countries you supply. Say it only if it is true.
- Write in the language your buyer reads. English works for most first emails. For a market such as Germany or the Netherlands, ask whether pages in the local language would help. A translated, localised website shows you are serious.
- Ask your first buyers which papers they want to see, such as test reports or product certificates. Then put those on your site and in your catalogue.
- Look at the fairs that your own council runs in that market. The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), for example, lists apparel and textile fairs for 2026 in Dubai, Barcelona and Melbourne on its home page.
Step 2: Get your shop window ready
A buyer who gets your email will look you up within minutes. What they find should say that you are real, that you can deliver and that you answer fast.
- A website with your products, factory photos, address, phone and email on the page. See our website design and development service.
- A catalogue light enough to email, with product codes, sizes, materials, the smallest order you accept and your delivery time. See brochure and catalogue design.
- A one-page company profile with the year you started, your capacity, your certificates and your IEC. See company profile design.
- A short factory video and clear product photos on a plain background.
- An email address on your own domain, and a rule that every enquiry gets a reply within one working day.
The IEC is the Importer-Exporter Code, a business identification number from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The DGFT site says no one may export except under an IEC. Buyers know this. IndiaMART's export page lists verified GST and a verified IEC among the trust marks it shows for exporters, so put both on your profile.
Step 3: Use the official routes first
These cost little or nothing and a buyer trusts them more than a cold message. Start here.
The Trade Connect ePlatform
The Trade Connect ePlatform is a Government of India site run by the DGFT and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Its home page lists a Source from India directory of Indian exporters and a service called Buyer Connect. It also has trade events worldwide, country guides, a tariff explorer, a global e-commerce guide and an Ask an Expert service.
Buyer Connect is the part to try first. Its page says it lets Indian exporters express interest after finding potential buyers in new markets for their product categories, and lets foreign buyers raise trade enquiries. The buyer information is meant for IEC holders whose IEC is linked to the portal and valid. The site also says its data is for general information and has no legal weight, so check each buyer yourself.
Export promotion councils and FIEO
An export promotion council (EPC) is a body for one product group, such as AEPC for apparel, EPCH for handicrafts and GJEPC for gems and jewellery. Councils run fairs and keep member directories. EPCH says on its home page that it organises the IHGF and IFJAS fairs. The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council lists its India and overseas shows. AEPC lists virtual showrooms and a members' directory. Councils also issue the Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) that some government schemes ask for. The import-export guide linked above explains it.
FIEO, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, is an umbrella body of export promotion bodies. Ask your council or FIEO which buyer visits and delegations are coming up.
Indian missions abroad
Indian embassies and consulates have commercial wings. In July 2025 the Commerce Minister met the heads of commercial wings from 74 missions in 61 countries. He called the missions the first point of contact for India's commercial and economic diplomacy (All India Radio, 18 July 2025). The Ministry of External Affairs site lists missions and posts. Write to the commercial wing of the mission in your target country with your catalogue and ask who in that market buys your product.
Money for branding and market access
The DGFT home page describes an Export Promotion Mission, aimed at small and medium firms. One part, NIRYAT DISHA, is said to support export quality and compliance, branding and packaging, market access, logistics and trade intelligence. We have not read the scheme rules, so check the details and your eligibility on the DGFT site before you plan around it.
One warning from the same page. The DGFT says that fake websites imitate its site and take money for services, including IEC certificates. Apply only through dgft.gov.in.
Step 4: Go to trade fairs, first as a visitor
A fair puts many buyers in one hall, and they can touch your sample. It is also expensive, so go once as a visitor before you book a stall.
- Pick the fair that your council or the Trade Connect events page recommends for your product.
- At the first visit, walk the hall. Note who buys what, what the stalls promise, and how they hand out catalogues.
- Book a small stall at the next one. Carry samples, a light catalogue and a way to note every visitor the same day.
- Write to every serious visitor within a week, while they remember you.
The India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) says on its site that it is India's apex trade promotion body, set up in 1972. It says it runs more than 70 national and international events a year, based at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. If you book a stall, good exhibition stall design helps a buyer understand what you make from ten metres away.
Step 5: List on B2B portals, and know how each one earns
A business-to-business (B2B) portal, where firms sell to firms, is an online market where buyers search for suppliers. Think of it as renting a stall. Each portal below explains its own model on its own pages, which we read on 10 October 2026. We give no fee amounts, because we found none we could confirm. Ask each portal for its current price in writing.
| Portal | What its pages say | How it earns, as stated | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndiaMART Export | Buyers post what they need. Sellers reach out. Its trust marks include TrustSEAL, GST verified and IEC verified. | Seller registration is called free. Its help page offers paid premium service packages. | What each paid package includes, and how leads are counted |
| TradeIndia | A B2B marketplace. Its home page links to Membership Plans for sellers. | Membership plans. We could not read the amounts. | Plan price, renewal terms and the buyer countries you reach |
| Alibaba.com | A global B2B market with a request-for-quotation system, where buyers post needs and sellers send quotes. | A paid membership plan, with 0% commission on orders, according to its pricing page. | Membership price, verification steps and the quote limit |
| Amazon Global Selling | Sells to consumers, not to trade buyers, on its overseas marketplaces. You register, list products, and ship yourself or use Amazon's fulfilment. | It has selling plans and fees pages for each region. We did not read the amounts. | Referral and shipping fees for your product, and the papers you must show |
For any portal, ask a few questions first. How many enquiries do sellers like me get? Who are the buyers? Can I see an example in my product line? Details are on the pages of IndiaMART Export, IndiaMART help, TradeIndia, Alibaba.com and Amazon Global Selling.
A portal gets you enquiries, not trust. Treat each enquiry like a cold lead. Check it with Step 8 before you send anything big.
Step 6: Reach out on LinkedIn and by email
Buyers and their companies are easy to find on LinkedIn. Build a list of 50 real buyers in your target market: importers, distributors and buyers at brands. Send each person a message that is about them. See our LinkedIn B2B lead generation service if you want help with the list and the follow-up.
Keep the first email short. Say who you are, what you make, why it may suit them, the smallest order, the delivery time, and one easy next step such as sending samples. Do not attach heavy files.
A made-up example, to show the shape. The names and numbers are not real.
Subject: Stainless steel cookware from India, samples on request. Hello Ms Carter, I run a factory in India that makes stainless steel pots and pans. I saw that your stores sell cookware in the mid-price range, so I think our range may suit you. We make 40 items. The minimum order is 500 sets and delivery takes 45 days from order. Our catalogue is linked below, with our IEC number and factory photos. May I send you three samples? If another range suits you better, tell me and I will send that instead. Regards, Rohan Mehta.
If there is no reply, follow up twice, a week apart, each time with something new such as a photo or a new item. Then stop. Never send the same message to a hundred people in one go.
Step 7: Samples and the first order
A sample is your best salesperson. Send samples that match what you will ship, and mark them clearly. Agree who pays for the sample and the courier. You can share the cost, or ask the buyer to pay the courier.
Rules for sending samples differ by product and country, so ask your customs broker before you post anything. After a good sample, suggest a small first order. A small lot lets the buyer test you and lets you test the buyer. Put the price, quantity, delivery time and payment terms in a written order or proforma invoice before you start production.
Step 8: Check the buyer before you ship
Shipping first and checking later is a common way to get into trouble. Spend a day on checks before you ship.
- Look up the company: its website, address, phone number, how long it has traded and who runs it. Call the number, and ask for a video call.
- Ask for two trade references and ask them one question: did this buyer pay on time?
- Ask for a bank reference or a letter from the buyer's bank. Your own bank can help you read it.
- Be careful if a buyer rushes you, offers a very high price, or asks you to pay a fee first.
- Ask ECGC. It is a Government of India company. Its overview page says it provides information on the credit-worthiness of overseas buyers.
Payment terms decide who carries the risk. In plain words, there are three common ways. In advance, the buyer pays before you ship, which is safest for you. With a letter of credit (LC), the buyer's bank promises to pay when you show the right papers. On open account, you ship first and the buyer pays later, which is the riskiest for you. For a first order, ask for advance payment or an LC, or at least a part in advance.
Two official pages are worth reading before your first shipment: the ECGC overview and the RBI Master Direction on export of goods and services. The fold below sums up what they say.
Mistakes we see
- Trying to sell in ten countries at once.
- A catalogue with no minimum order, no delivery time and no contact details.
- Paying anyone who promises buyers. No one can promise a buyer, and DGFT warns about fake sites that take money.
- Shipping a big first order on open account to a buyer you have not checked.
- Slow replies. A buyer who waits three days may write to the next maker.
- Sending samples and never following up.
Questions to ask a new buyer on the first call
- How did you find your last supplier in India, and how did that go?
- What do you pay for this product today, and what order size do you buy?
- Which papers or tests do your customers ask for?
- What went wrong the last time you imported this?
- What would make you try a small order with us?
A note on where we stand
Sara International, a PromotEdge group company that makes and exports jute and canvas bags from India, is still being built. Its website is at saraexim.co. We mention it so you know we have a stake in this field. We claim no results from it.
