Home Furnishings in India : How to Find an Exporter,manufacturer or Supplier ? Beyond a Database.

Looking for a manufacturer or supplier of homedetermined by the volume/quality of business you are
furnishings in India ?Don't know where to begin? Wantlikely to give.5. Assuming you are uncomfortable
to find a source but at a loss for resources? Want todealing with faceless companies based in India,
do business in India, but unsure what is the best wayconsider the fact that most manufacturers and
to go about it?This article attempts to answer somesuppliers in India are equally uncomfortable dealing with
of these questions.Firstly,unless you have a link in India,someone they do not know or understand. If you
you will find it a difficult task to sift through themake the effort to communicate with them, they will
information available on the Internet. There are varioususually respond with the same enthusiasm. The ones
sites that provide a directory of manufacturers andthat are more likely to be useful will not send you an
exporters in India. These sites have a database ofemail that looks like a mass-marketing mailer.6. If you
exporters, manufacturers, suppliers and agents dealingneed samples, and you want to deal with a good
in home furnishings. Not exhaustive and certainly notcompany, you would need to pay them for it. A better
comprehensive, but it's a good place to start.Oneway would be to ask for digital pictures or a CD. At
disadvantage is going through all the databases.any given point of time, a fabricator based in India has
Largely, in the directories of manufacturers andat least five requests a day for samples. Every single
exporters in India, the paid listings are not the biggerpotential client promises big business.7. The best way
companies, because the latter do not feel the need toto assess the credibility of a potential supplier is to start
have a paid listing. If the site with the database alsosmall. That way you will know what their limitations are,
offers website design and hosting services, then theand they will also be able to assess if they can do
listings that come on top are usually the ones they gotbusiness with you. Even a cursory glance at the
business from. Many of the resource sites are similarcommunications that keep going back and forth will
and even have the same information base.So, whatgive you an idea of what kind of a company you are
would be the best way to find someone a source?Idealing with.8. Try to exchange information that would
have tried to outline below some of the methods yoube useful to your supplier in India. If you can help them
could use to get more information.1. Find a consultantwith information that you have access to in your
based in India. You would need to pay such acountry, they will go out of their way to help you find
consultant for their services, but it would be well worthsomeone even if they do not manufacture the
your while. They would also do market research forproducts you want. It builds trust, helps business, does
you at a nominal cost. They need not be your buyingnot cost anything and does no one any harm. It could
agents, you could still deal with manufacturers in Indiahowever, prove to be extremely beneficial. In pure
directly, but they would be a useful link to have.2. Askcommercial terms. To both parties.9. To understand a
for specific information, giving details of products youfragmented market, the first step is to work in
are interested in. No matter how small your quantities,fragments that will create the whole. Keywords
you will find a supplier in India, who is willing to deal withcommonly used to find manufacturers from India-that
you. In fact, if you have a niche market, the chances ofwill probably get you absolutely nowhere in terms of
finding someone reliable to do business with in India arerelevance and drag you into a cyber jungle that will
even better. If you are just generally looking forleave you more confused than anything else....
suppliers of home furnishings based in India, you will get"furnishings India, exporters home furnishings India,
absolutely nowhere.3. Send a few pictures of the kindmanufacturers bedspreads India, decorative pillows
of products that would be of interest to you. Without aIndia, table linen manufacturers India, suppliers fabrics
visual, it is difficult to communicate. Posting trade leadsIndia, wholesale distributors, handicraft, embroidered
with pictures is useful, although it is doubtful how manytextiles,"The list goes on and on. The reason is simple. It
of those companies have an employee regularly visitis an organized chaos. But chaos nevertheless.10. If
the sites that carry their listing. My guess is, it wouldyou have the time and the resources, you could
probably be ones based in remote towns where thereperhaps find what you want in one of these
is no other way to access information.4. Once youdatabases. If not, and you are still looking to do
have found a few suppliers for what you need,business in India, find a link in India. A link you can build a
assess if they are willing to come and meet yourelationship with. Business is all about relationships.
personally. If the manufacturer finds you to be aEspecially small business. The home furnishings industry
potential client (and this is important), they will notin India is still relatively small business.Rekha I Nambiar is
hesitate to travel across the world to meet you. Thean interior designer based in New Delhi,India. She runs
kind of manufacturer you will find is likely to beher own business in interiors,furniture and furnishings.