Metal parts
- Investment and sand castings
- Forgings
- CNC machined parts
- Sheet metal and welded assemblies
- Fasteners and wire forms
Product sourcing · India, China, Vietnam
The right factory, found and proven.
SourceSquid finds, audits and approves manufacturers for your product in India, China and Vietnam. You get a named shortlist compared on landed cost, capability and audit results, then we manage samples through to a signed golden sample.
- Named
- factories on every shortlist
- 2
- approved sources per part family
- 48 h
- free teardown
Shortlist · SQ-SL-0417 · exampleStainless investment casting, 11 parts
Foundry ARajkot, Gujarat
- Licence
- Audit
- Sample
94$4.18 landed
Foundry BSolapur, Maharashtra
- Licence
- Audit
- Sample
88$4.36 landed
Foundry CNingbo, Zhejiang
- Licence
- Audit
- Sample
81$4.05 landed
Recommended: Foundry A as lead source, Foundry C as backup.
How a shortlist is built
Dozens screened. A handful audited. The right one chosen.
Every factory we put in front of you has been checked on paper, on video and on the floor. You see the evidence for each step, so the final choice is easy.
Typical program for one part family
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Registries, export records, trade fairs and our own network. Licences and addresses checked.
-
Capability, capacity and price fit confirmed on video calls. RFQ issued on one common basis.
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Quality system, machines, people and social compliance checked by our team.
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Samples measured, tested and compared side by side against your drawing.
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One lead supplier and one qualified backup, signed off against a golden sample.
How a sourcing program runs
Six steps from brief to first shipment.
- 01
Brief
We agree the product, volumes, target cost, markets and deadlines with you, and sign an NDA before any drawing moves.
You receiveMandate brief and NDA - 02
Country and cluster
Duty, lead time, compliance and capability decide where to look. The India Atlas shows where each process runs at scale.
You receiveCountry and cluster scorecard - 03
Discovery and screening
Dozens of factories screened on licence, address, export record and capability, then verified on live video.
You receiveMarket map of named factories - 04
RFQ and should-cost
One RFQ, one common basis. Every quote is compared against a should-cost model so you see the real price.
You receiveQuote comparison workbook - 05
Audit and samples
The strongest candidates are audited on site. Samples are measured, tested and signed off as a golden sample.
You receiveAudit reports and golden sample - 06
Order and first shipment
A PO with AQL, tooling and delivery terms, in-line checks during production and a pre-shipment inspection before you pay the balance.
You receiveFirst container, inspected
What we source
Process-led. Product-agnostic.
Fifteen years across metals, plastics, tooling, soft goods and electronics mean we speak the language of every shop floor. The categories below are examples: we are not limited to these.
Plastics and rubber
- Injection moulding
- Blow moulding
- Extrusion and profiles
- Foam and latex
- Rubber moulding
Moulds, dies and fixtures
- Injection moulds
- Die-casting dies
- Press tools
- Check fixtures and jigs
Textiles and soft goods
- Apparel and knitwear
- Home textiles
- Bags and cases
- Seat covers and trim
- Webbing, nets and straps
Electronics
- PCB assemblies
- Cable and wire harnesses
- Chargers and power supplies
- Box builds
Packaging
- Corrugated cartons
- FIBC bulk bags
- Plastic pallets and returnables
- Retail packaging
Home and décor
- Metal and brass décor
- Wood furniture
- Ceramics and glass
- Handcrafted GI products
Industrial consumables
- Brushes and abrasives
- Filters and filter bags
- Gaskets and seals
- Maintenance spares
Categories we've sourced
Real products. Real factories.
These are categories we have sourced or quoted for brands in Europe, the US and Australia. Where the India Atlas has a guide, the card opens it: the process chain, the clusters, the tests and the HS heading.
- Categories
- 23
- Sectors
- 4
- Atlas guides
- 21
Metal
Metals and engineering
5 categories- 01 Castings and forgings Investment, sand and die castings; closed-die forgings Atlas guide
- 02 Machined and welded assemblies CNC parts, fabricated frames and welded sub-assemblies Atlas guide
- 03 Bicycles and bicycle parts Bent-tube frames, welded and painted assemblies Atlas guide
- 04 Cast-iron fitness equipment Kettlebells and dumbbells, powder or vinyl coated Atlas guide
- 05 Automotive accessories Aftermarket accessories, fittings and kits On request
Polymer
Plastics, electronics and packaging
6 categories- 06 Injection-moulded plastics Technical and consumer parts, with mould ownership Atlas guide
- 07 PCB assemblies and IoT devices SMT assembly, box build and functional testing Atlas guide
- 08 Foam filters Polyurethane foam filters, cut, bonded and oiled On request
- 09 Returnable plastic packaging Pallets, crates and returnable transit packaging Atlas guide
- 10 FIBC bags Bulk bags, baffle and food-grade types Atlas guide
- 11 Filter bags Dust-collector filter bags and anti-static pouches Atlas guide
Soft goods
Textiles, leather and soft goods
7 categories- 12 Seat covers and trim Cut-and-sew covers in fabric, neoprene and leatherette Atlas guide
- 13 Cargo nets and webbing Nets, straps, webbing and their hardware Atlas guide
- 14 Leather saddlery and equestrian Saddles, bridles, girths and harness Atlas guide
- 15 Leather aprons and workwear Aprons, tool rolls and riveted straps Atlas guide
- 16 Yoga and meditation cushions Zafus, bolsters and acupressure mats Atlas guide
- 17 Home textiles and rugs Towels, cushions, throws, tufted and woven rugs Atlas guide
- 18 Jute and cotton bags Totes, shoppers and promotional bags Atlas guide
Home
Home, food and wellness
5 categories- 19 Wooden kitchenware and serveware Mango and acacia boards, bowls and platters Atlas guide
- 20 Handmade stoneware and décor Reactive-glaze mugs, bowls, vases and planters Atlas guide
- 21 Brass and metal décor Brass, iron and aluminium décor and lighting Atlas guide
- 22 Organic coconut products Virgin oil, desiccated coconut, flour and sugar Atlas guide
- 23 Areca and bagasse tableware Plates, bowls and clamshells from farm waste Atlas guide
Not on the list? We are process-led, so a new product usually maps to a process we already buy. Send us your product
Supplier dossiers
How a supplier dossier looks.
Every supplier on a SourceSquid shortlist comes with a one-page dossier: what they make, where, with how many people, which certificates are valid and what to watch. Each line says how we know it.
- Seen on siteChecked in person or on a live video walk-through of the factory.
- Document checkedMatched against certificates, registries or export records.
- DeclaredStated by the supplier, to be confirmed at audit or on the first order.
Example Wellness Products
Delhi NCR, IndiaCut-and-sew wellness textiles
- Products
- Meditation cushions, bolsters, eye pillows, acupressure mats and cotton yoga straps Seen on site
- Facilities
- Two units: cutting and stitching with about 60 machines; filling, finishing and packing Seen on site
- Staff
- About 120, plus seasonal contract tailors Declared
- Export share
- About 80%, mainly to the US, the EU and Australia Document checked
- Certifications
- GOTS and OCS scope certificates, amfori BSCI audit; numbers matched on the issuers’ databases Document checked
- Lead time
- 40–45 days after sample approval Declared
- Capacity
- About 15,000 cushions a month on one shift Seen on site
- Strengths
-
- Organic cotton with a transaction certificate per lot
- In-house cleaning and heat treatment of buckwheat hulls
- Retail-ready packs with barcodes and case packs
- Watch-points
-
- Buckwheat hull stock is seasonal: book fill before peak orders
- One outside dye house: ask for colour-fastness reports per lot
- Capacity tightens from August to October, before Diwali
Supplier screening
Factory or trader? Learn to tell in five cards.
Five supplier profiles, all fictional, all built from patterns our team screens every week. Read the clues, make the call, and see what a trained eye picks up.
Traders can be excellent partners. What matters is knowing which one you are talking to, so the price, the quality promise and the accountability all line up.
Country selection
Where should it be made? We tell you straight.
Duty, landed cost, lead time, capability, compliance and distance to your market decide the answer. We compare the options for your product and recommend where it should be made, even when the answer is not India or China.
- 01 · Our own teams
India and China
Delivered end to end by our own teams in Bengaluru and Ningbo: search, audits, samples and inspections.
- India · Bengaluru
- China · Ningbo
- 02 · Partner inspectors
Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand
Sourcing led by our principals, with audits and inspections carried out by partner inspectors we know and brief.
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- 03 · Trusted partners
Anywhere it is best made
When the answer lies elsewhere, we advise on the choice and deliver through trusted partners. We tell you plainly which parts of the work they carry.
- Mexico
- Turkey
- Eastern Europe
- Staying local
Any product, any stage: new product, cost-down, second source, nearshoring or strategic sourcing. Ask where yours should be made
Where we source
Open a door.
Bengaluru officeIndiaCastings, forgings, machining, textiles, leather, home goods.→Ningbo officeChinaElectronics, hardware, moulds, plastics, consumer goods.→Regular programsVietnamFurniture, footwear, apparel, electronics assembly.→Selected categoriesIndonesiaWood furniture, textiles, footwear, rubber.→Selected categoriesThailandAuto parts, electronics, rubber, jewellery.→Resilient supplyChina + 1 plannerKeep what works and add a qualified second source.→
Sourcing questions
Straight answers.
Anything else, ask us directly. A principal replies, not a bot.
[email protected]How does SourceSquid find manufacturers?
We start from the cluster that specialises in your process, screen factories through registries, export records, trade fairs and our own network, then verify licences, addresses and capability on video before auditing the best candidates on site.
Will I know the names of the factories?
Yes. Every shortlist names each manufacturer, with its location, audit findings, sample results and quoted price, so you choose with full visibility.
How long does it take to find a new supplier?
A named shortlist usually takes three to four weeks. Approved samples follow in another two to six weeks, depending on tooling.
What product categories do you source?
Metal parts, plastics and rubber, tooling, textiles and soft goods, electronics, packaging, home and décor, food ingredients and industrial consumables. Recent categories include castings, PCB assemblies, seat covers, FIBC bags, leather saddlery, wooden kitchenware, stoneware and organic coconut products. We are product-agnostic and process-led, and not limited to these categories.
Do you only source from India and China?
No. India and China are delivered by our own teams in Bengaluru and Ningbo, and Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand through partner inspectors. We advise where your product is best made, including Mexico, Turkey, Eastern Europe or staying local, and deliver those through trusted partners. When another country is the better answer, we tell you.
What is in a supplier dossier?
A one-page profile of each shortlisted supplier: products, facilities, staff, export share, certifications, lead time, capacity, strengths and watch-points. Each line is marked as seen on site, checked against a document or declared by the supplier.
Do you work with small and mid-sized companies?
Yes. Small and mid-sized brands and manufacturers are our focus. Programs are sized to your volumes, from a first container to a multi-part family.
Start here
Send one drawing. Get a teardown in 48 hours.
The process chain, the best-fit clusters in India and China, a should-cost range and a clear next step. Free, with no obligation.