Plant & operations
Manufacturing in India, without the false starts
Whether you should make in India — and how — depends on duty structures, buyer expectations and the state you pick. We run that assessment, then set the operation up.
Four routes into Indian manufacturing
Most international brands do not begin with their own plant. Choosing the right entry route protects capital while you prove demand.
Contract manufacturing
Use it when: You want volume in market quickly, or your first orders are too small to justify a plant.
Watch for: Quality systems, IP protection clauses and the right to audit are where most agreements are weak.
Assembly / SKD-CKD
Use it when: Duty structures reward local assembly and your critical components stay imported.
Watch for: Customs classification and BIS certification decide whether the economics actually work.
Own plant (greenfield)
Use it when: Volumes justify fixed cost, or your buyers require local content and local support.
Watch for: Land, power, effluent and labour approvals drive the timeline far more than construction does.
Acquisition of an existing unit
Use it when: You need capacity, licences and a workforce from day one.
Watch for: Environmental and statutory-dues liabilities travel with the asset — diligence is non-negotiable.
How a setup runs
- 01
Feasibility
Landed-cost comparison against imports, realistic volumes, and a first view of duties, incentives and local-content requirements.
- 02
Location analysis
State-by-state comparison on power tariff, labour availability, logistics distance to your buyers, industrial-park options and state incentive packages.
- 03
Entity & licences
Company incorporation, factory licence, GST and IEC registrations, pollution-control consents, and product approvals such as BIS, FSSAI or CDSCO where they apply.
- 04
Build or partner
Plant layout and vendor selection for a greenfield build, or shortlisting, auditing and contracting a manufacturing partner.
- 05
Hiring & commissioning
Plant head, quality and maintenance hires, SOPs, trial runs and first-article approval before commercial production.
Request a manufacturing feasibility assessment
Send us your product, target volumes and current landed cost. We come back with a make-versus-import comparison, a shortlist of states and an indicative timeline.