Make your product

From a sample you'd put your name on to a factory that will actually make it.

What founders use for make your product, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. A strong second directory to IndiaMART, useful for cross-checking a supplier and for browsing city-level industry hubs to see... tradeindia.com Tool TradeIndia Industry Hubs and B2B Directory TradeIndia
  2. Even India-first brands use Alibaba to benchmark prices and MOQs and to source components India doesn't make cheaply;... alibaba.com Tool Alibaba Supplier Sourcing and Trade Assurance Alibaba
  3. A free, fill-in-the-blanks NDA built for product development, the document you sign before you hand a factory your formulation,... legaltemplates.net Template Product Development Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Template Legal Templates
  4. One of India's biggest business podcasts, with long-form interviews of D2C founders (SUGAR, Mamaearth and more) who talk... rajshamani.life Podcast Figuring Out with Raj Shamani (Founder Interviews) Raj Shamani
  5. Video How To Find A Good And Reliable Manufacturer Or Supplier For Your Product Idea Shopify
  6. Video Fuelling a D2C Brand's Growth Engine with Supply Chain Supply Chain Digital Dialogues
  7. Breaks down real air vs sea cost ranges on the China-India lane and, critically, tells you to check for an in-house customs... smartbuy.alibaba.com Article How to Choose the Best Freight Forwarder China to India: A Complete Guide Alibaba
  8. The clearest plain-language breakdown of the one document you cannot import without, what IEC actually unlocks and how to get one. cashfree.com Article What is an Import Export Code (IEC)? Registration, Documents, Fees & Benefits Cashfree Payments
  9. A logistics provider's practical view of IEC, useful because it connects the registration step directly to what happens at... shiprocket.in Article Import Export Code: Benefits, How to Apply & More Shiprocket X
  10. Explains MOQ from the factory's side, why they set it and what fixed costs it's actually recovering, which makes negotiating it... netsuite.com Article Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): Formula, Tips, & Benefits NetSuite
  11. Connects MOQ directly to sampling, how prototype and pre-production batches are typically exempt from or subject to reduced... partmfg.com Article What Is MOQ in Manufacturing? A Guide to Understanding Its Importance PartMFG
  12. A concise second reference on golden samples, useful for cross-checking terminology before you write it into a supplier agreement. sofeast.com Article Golden Sample in Manufacturing Sofeast
  13. A free calculator to work out your sample size and acceptance/rejection numbers for a given batch size and AQL level before an... hqts.com Tool AQL Calculator HQTS
  14. A free, downloadable inspection checklist template, the actual document a third-party inspector (or you) would carry onto the... tetrainspection.com Template Quality Control Checklist: Free QC Checklist Guide Tetra Inspection
  15. A category-specific look at how low-MOQ manufacturing actually works for supplements and nutraceuticals, useful if general MOQ... aurinutra.com Article Low MOQ in Supplement Manufacturing: 2026 Complete Guide Aurinutra
  16. A logistics provider's view of packaging, useful because it connects design choices directly to shipping cost and damage rates,... sekologistics.com Article Ecommerce Packaging Innovations for D2C Brands SEKO Logistics
  17. India's largest ecommerce logistics platform's own best-practices guide, written for the exact courier, RTO and damage... shiprocket.in Article Best Packaging Practices for eCommerce Sellers Shiprocket
  18. A full India-specific unboxing-experience guide from a packaging supplier, useful for budget-tiering ideas from a plain kraft... upackarts.in Article D2C Brand Packaging India: Unboxing Experience Complete Guide Upackarts
  19. A free way to visualise box, mailer or pouch designs before you pay a supplier for a physical proof, good for testing 3-4... canva.com Tool Packaging Mockup Generator Canva
  20. Shows the actual path from a Canva mockup to a manufactured box via a 3D configurator and supplier network, useful even if you... packhelp.com Tool How to Use Canva and Packhelp to Design Custom Packaging Packhelp
  21. One of India's largest corrugated packaging manufacturers, with ecommerce-specific customised boxes at MOQs realistic for a new... packman.co.in Tool Buy Custom Corrugated Box at Wholesale Price Packman Packaging
  22. A second Indian corrugated manufacturer to benchmark quotes against, custom sizes, printing and branding for D2C-scale orders. nextinpack.com Tool Top Corrugated Box Manufacturers in India NextInPack
  23. A one-stop packaging shop from the logistics platform many Indian D2C brands already use for shipping, so ordering and... packaging.shiprocket.in Tool Packaging Solutions for Your eCommerce Business Shiprocket Packaging
  24. A detailed, India-specific breakdown of exactly what must appear on food packaging and which materials need BIS certification... foodsafety.institute Article FSSAI Packaging and Labelling Requirements Food Safety Institute

Show the next 24

The questions

Developing your product 6

From idea to a sample you'd put your name on.

How do I actually go from a rough idea to a working prototype? 4 → What should I actually put in a product brief or spec sheet before I approach a manufacturer? 3 → How many rounds of samples should I expect before something's actually production-ready? 3 → Should I hire a product designer, or can I figure this out myself? 3 → How do I know people actually want this before I spend on tooling or bulk development? 3 → All 6 questions in Developing your product →
Finding manufacturers in India 7

Find the factory that will actually make your product.

How do I actually find a manufacturer to make my product in India? 5 → Should I go private label or contract (custom) manufacturing? 4 → The MOQ is way too high for me. How do I lower it or start with a small batch? 4 → How do I vet a factory before I trust them with a real order? 4 → How do I avoid getting scammed by a supplier? 3 → All 7 questions in Finding manufacturers in India →
Importing & global sourcing 6

Source from China & abroad without getting burned.

How do I actually import a product from China as a small D2C brand with no existing supply chain? 2 → What's actually different between working direct with a factory, buying off Alibaba, and hiring a sourcing agent? 2 → What do I legally need in India to import goods, IEC, GST, anything else? 3 → How do I estimate my true landed cost before I commit to an order? 4 → What are the classic ways first-time importers get scammed or burned? 3 → All 6 questions in Importing & global sourcing →
Private label vs white label vs own mfg 6

Pick the make-model that fits your margins.

What's actually the difference between private label, white label and full contract manufacturing? 3 → I'm just testing an idea, should I start with white label or private label? 3 → When does it actually make sense to move to contract manufacturing with my own formula? 3 → If I go private label, do I actually own my formulation, or does the factory? 3 → Where do I find private label manufacturers in India for cosmetics, food or supplements? 3 → All 6 questions in Private label vs white label vs own mfg →
MOQs, samples & quality control 6

Small first orders, samples that match, QC that holds.

The MOQ is way too high for me, how do I actually get it lowered? 4 → What's a 'golden sample' and why does it matter so much? 3 → How many sample rounds should I go through before approving a design for production? 3 → What is AQL and how do I actually use it to inspect a batch before it ships? 3 → Should I hire a third-party quality inspector, or can I trust the factory's own QC? 3 → All 6 questions in MOQs, samples & quality control →
Packaging design & development 6

Packaging that survives shipping and sells the product.

What's the difference between primary and secondary packaging, and do I need to nail both from day one? 3 → How do I design packaging that survives shipping without blowing up my cost per unit? 3 → How do I create an unboxing experience without blowing my packaging budget? 4 → Where do I get custom packaging made in India, boxes, mailers, pouches, at a low MOQ? 3 → What labelling is legally mandatory on my packaging in India? 2 → All 6 questions in Packaging design & development →
Product costing & COGS 6

Know your landed cost to the last rupee.

What's the actual difference between COGS and landed cost, and why does mixing them up wreck my margins? 3 → How do I calculate my true landed cost per unit, including duty, freight and GST? 3 → What import duty and GST will I actually pay bringing goods into India? 3 → How do I set my price once I actually know my costs, what margin should I be targeting? 3 → What free tools or calculators can I use to model landed cost before I place an order? 3 → All 6 questions in Product costing & COGS →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →