The complete process - supplier verification, safe payments, testing, documents, customs and installation - from an exporter who runs it every week.
India is one of the world's largest machinery exporters - and one of the safest places to buy from, if you follow the process. The buyers who get burned are almost always the ones who skipped a step: paid 100 percent upfront, accepted a "type test" of a different machine, or arrived at customs without papers.
This guide walks all eight steps in order. Follow them and importing from India is no riskier than buying domestically - our export from India page explains why India itself is the right source.
Step 1Before contacting any supplier, write one page: the product you will make, output per day, your available power supply, and your budget range. Vague inquiries get vague quotes - and vague quotes are where problems start. A precise requirement gets you a precise, comparable offer within 24 hours.
Before any payment, confirm four things - all free, all takes minutes:
Ask for the CIN (Corporate Identity Number) and verify it on India's MCA portal. Ours is in the footer of every page we publish.
A genuine exporter has a GSTIN and an Import-Export Code. No IEC means they cannot legally ship.
Video-call the office. Check the address on Google Maps. Call the phone number - at a different hour than email.
Ask for two reference customers in your region you can contact. Confident exporters provide them without hesitation.
A professional quote lists everything included and excluded, line by line: machine specification, moulds, auxiliaries, testing, packing, shipping terms (Incoterms), warranty and spare parts commitment. Compare two suppliers on identical specifications only - our price guides show exactly how.
The standard, balanced structure used across the industry:
Books your production slot and covers raw materials. Never agree to more than 50 percent upfront.
Paid only after you receive and approve the pre-shipment test video of your actual machine.
Letters of credit are an alternative for larger orders. Wire only to the company account matching the registered name - never to a personal account, however the story is framed.
This is the single most protective step in the entire process. Before the final payment, your exact machine - serial number confirmed - runs at full load for 72 hours, and you receive the video. Bottles are blown, parts are produced, parameters are shown on screen. Any fault surfaces in India, not at your factory.
Your machine ships in export-grade packing - wrapped, palletised or crated for sea transport. The standard document set ships with it:
The value declaration your customs uses to calculate duty.
Every crate and package itemized - your checklist on arrival.
Can reduce your import duty under trade agreements.
Title document and cargo cover - confirm marine insurance is included.
Typical sea transit: 2-4 weeks to African and Gulf ports. Our Africa and Middle East pages list the lanes and ports we ship to.
Your clearing agent handles clearance using the documents above - which we send digitally the day the vessel sails, so clearance never waits on paperwork. Budget for import duty (varies by country - check your tariff schedule before ordering; the certificate of origin may reduce it) plus port handling and inland transport to your site.
The machine arrives; the relationship begins. Commissioning connects power, water and air, runs the first production, and trains your operators. Remote support covers daily questions; genuine wear parts should ship within days when needed - ours within 7, via spare parts dispatch.
AvoidRemoves all leverage. The 30/70 structure protects both sides.
Ten minutes on the MCA portal and a video call prevent most fraud.
A video of a different machine proves nothing. Your serial number or nothing.
Know your tariff code and duty rate before ordering - not at the port.
Yes, when you verify the exporter and structure payments safely. Check company registration (CIN in India), insist on a documented pre-shipment test with video, and never pay 100 percent in advance.
The common structure is 30 percent advance with order and 70 percent before dispatch, confirmed against the pre-shipment test video. Letters of credit are also accepted for larger orders.
Typically 2-4 weeks at sea to most African and Gulf ports after dispatch, plus customs clearance at destination. Your quote includes the confirmed schedule.
Commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading, insurance certificate and any product-specific compliance papers.
Your clearing agent at destination handles it using the documents we prepare. We supply everything in advance so clearance is not delayed.
Send your requirement - get an itemized quote, the 30/70 payment structure, and a 72-hour video-verified test. The whole process, done properly, within 24 hours.