India is one of the world’s largest garment exporters, with strong clusters for cotton, linen, knits and embellished wear. That range is the opportunity and the difficulty: there are thousands of factories, and the right one depends on your product, quantities and standards. This checklist covers how to narrow the field and test a supplier before you commit a full season.
Match the factory to your product
Factories specialise. A unit that runs excellent knit tees may struggle with tailored woven shirts. Before anything else, write down:
- Product type: woven or knit, tops or bottoms, basics or detailed styles.
- Fabric: fibre, weight and finish, and whether you supply it or the factory sources it.
- Quantities: pieces per style and per colour, and how many styles a season.
- Target price and timeline: the FOB price you need and your in-store date.
Then look for factories already making something close to it for brands at your level. Ask for photos of current production, not a showroom of samples.
Check capacity and minimums
- MOQ: the minimum per style and per colour. Smaller factories and sampling units accept lower minimums; large units often need several thousand pieces.
- Capacity: machines, lines and monthly output, and how busy they are in your season.
- In-house processes: which steps they do themselves (cutting, stitching, washing, printing, embroidery) and which they send out. Every outside step adds time and risk.
- Lead times: sampling time and bulk production time, counted from fabric approval.
Ask about compliance early
Many retailers in the US, UK and Europe require social and environmental audits, and some products need certified materials. Ask which audits and certificates the factory holds and when they expire. Common ones include amfori BSCI, SMETA (Sedex), WRAP, GOTS for organic textiles and OEKO-TEX for tested materials. Check what your own buyers require before you shortlist.
Run a trial before a full season
- Send a clear tech pack and ask for a proto sample. See how they handle questions and comments.
- Compare two or three factories on the same style, so you can judge quality, speed and communication side by side.
- Place a small first order before committing your main range.
- Visit, or use a third-party inspector, for a factory audit and the final inspection of that first order.
Agree terms in writing
- Price basis: FOB (free on board) is the most common; CIF and DDP move more of the shipping to the supplier.
- Payment: often a deposit with the order and the balance against shipping documents. Letters of credit are common for larger orders.
- Quality: the AQL levels for final inspection and what happens if an order fails.
- Delays: how and when the factory must tell you, and any penalty or airfreight terms.
Red flags
- No photos or videos of the actual production floor.
- Prices far below everyone else, with no explanation.
- Vague answers on who makes which part of the garment.
- Slow or inconsistent replies during sampling. It rarely improves in bulk.
If you want help finding and managing suppliers, our group company ATI Global handles fabric sourcing and garment production with partner factories across India.
ATI Sutra
Once you have chosen, track every order
Our production trackers show each PO by stage, with photos from the floor and delay alerts in your time zone.