Autobot

How to find buyers for export from India

How to find buyers for export: pick one product and two or three countries that import it. List 30 to 50 real importers from official portals, trade fairs, Google Maps and company websites. Check each one, then write and follow up on a schedule.

By , co-founder of Autobot 7 min read

How to get buyers for export, step by step

Work in six steps. Check your IEC is valid and find your 6-digit HS (customs) code on the Indian Trade Portal. Pick two or three importing countries from free data, then list 30 to 50 companies. Check each one, write, and follow up on days 3, 7 and 14.

How to get export orders from foreign buyers through government portals

Start with three official sites. DGFT's Trade Connect gives IEC holders Buyer Connect and Trade Enquiries after login. The Indian Trade Portal shows tariffs, buyer-seller meets and trade queries from missions. FIEO's Indian Business Portal lists your firm for foreign buyers, free for now.

Source What it gives you Cost Sign-up
Trade Connect ePlatform Buyer Connect, to "express interest" in buyers you identify; Trade Enquiries from foreign buyers; events search No fee shown Login. Buyer tools need a linked, valid IEC
Indian Trade Portal HS code search with tariffs and RoDTEP rates; events; trade queries from missions; export council list Free to read; free alerts None to read
Indian Business Portal Foreign buyers post requirements. You build a catalogue and apply to be listed No listing charge now; a small transaction fee may follow Valid GST number and IEC; about 2 working days to review

In a reverse buyer-seller meet (RBSM), foreign buyers visit India. On 18 October 2026 the Indian Trade Portal listed one for durries in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, on 24 and 25 October. A hosted-buyer programme covers airfare and hotel for foreign buyers. DGFT's Market Access Support scheme funds fairs and such meets; eligible bodies and valid IEC holders apply on Trade Connect.

Ask your sector's export council or board about meets, fairs and delegations: EEPC India (engineering), AEPC (apparel), Pharmexcil (pharma), APEDA (farm and food products), the Spices Board, MPEDA (marine products) or another on the portal's council list.

The Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi lists a trade inquiry contact for "importers/exporters lists, trade complaints, verification of the company"; other missions are on the MEA list. The portal's trade queries from missions page showed 0 for every country on 18 October 2026.

How do I find buyers at trade fairs?

Open the exhibitor list of a fair in your target country and pick the importers, distributors and wholesalers, skipping other exporters. Trade Connect's events search finds fairs by sector, country and year.

Gulfood in Dubai runs 15 to 19 March 2027, per the Indian Trade Portal. Its 2026 exhibitor list needs no login and filters by country and category, so a Kochi spice exporter can pick UAE distributors under Spices & Seasonings.

How do I find importers on Google Maps and company websites?

Search Google Maps for the buyer type and city, such as "spice importer Dubai" or "food distributor Sharjah". Open each listing's website to see what the company imports and who buys, and note where you found each name.

Take contact details from the company's own site. Google's Maps terms bar mass downloads and using Maps to build a listings database or mailing list for a rival service.

Can LinkedIn help me find export buyers?

Yes, for finding the purchasing, sourcing and category managers behind a company. A free account lets you search and view member profiles. Sales Navigator, the paid lead-search tool, starts at US$119.99 a month. LinkedIn bans tools that automate activity on its site, so send messages yourself.

How to find buyers for export online on B2B marketplaces

Marketplaces list buyer requests, but contacting buyers usually needs a paid plan. Alibaba.com, Go4WorldBusiness and ExportersIndia sell plans that cap how many buyers you can contact or quote. Treat every buy lead as unchecked until it passes the checks below.

Marketplace What it offers Cost, as shown on 18 October 2026
Alibaba.com Request for quotation (RFQ) market: buyers post requests, sellers quote Paid plans give 20, 40 or 60 RFQ quotes a month. Prices are unpublished and "vary by region"
Go4WorldBusiness Buy leads and supplier listings Free to join. Paid plans run ₹19,999 for 6 months to ₹49,999 for 12 months plus GST, capped at 10, 50 or 100 contacts a day
ExportersIndia Supplier listings, enquiries and buy leads Free for up to 400 products. Paid plans, ₹24,000 to ₹1,20,000 a year plus GST, add quotes and 6 to 50 buy leads a month

GlobalBuyersOnline shows recent buy requests but no prices. Its list on 17 October had gold bars and used laptops next to rice, so check every lead.

Which import data shows who buys my product?

Free trade statistics show which countries import your product and how much, but not who buys. Names come from paid shipment records, such as ImportGenius. Use free data to pick markets, then find companies through fairs, Maps and websites, or pay for records.

Source What it shows Cost Sign-up
India's Export Import Data Bank India's trade by HS code, country and region Free None on report pages
UN Comtrade World trade by HS code and partner country. No importer names or contacts Free basic account; premium is paid Free registration
ImportGenius US customs records naming shippers and consignees US$2,198 a year (Essentials) or US$4,310 (Pro); monthly plans US$229 and US$449. No free trial Account

How do I check an export buyer is real before I write?

Run five checks before you write: the company is on an official register, its website and map address match, it already buys your product, a named person handles buying, and it accepts safe payment terms. Drop any company that fails two.

Check How Good sign
Real company Search an official register. UK Companies House "does not check the accuracy of the information filed". In the UAE, the Indian embassy takes verification inquiries Name, address and directors match the website
Address and site Match the website address to Google Maps. Check when the domain was registered A real office or warehouse; not a brand-new site
Buys your product Read their product pages Your category is listed
Named buyer Find the purchasing person on the website or LinkedIn A name and a role, not only info@
Safe terms Ask your bank about a letter of credit or part advance. ECGC, the government's export credit insurer, covers non-payment risk The buyer accepts protective terms

Walk away if a buyer asks for a fee first, wants goods shipped before terms are agreed, or uses only a free email address.

What should my first message to an export buyer say?

Keep the first message under 120 words. Say who you are, what you make, why you picked this company, one useful fact, and one easy next step such as a sample. Send it from a business email, with your postal address and a way to opt out.

The US CAN-SPAM law covers business email too: accurate sender details, your postal address, and opt-outs honoured within 10 business days. Check each country's rules.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn note

Hello [First name], I run [Company], a [product] maker in [City], India. I saw that [Buyer company] imports [product line]. May I send you a price list and a sample?

WhatsApp

WhatsApp template

Only for people who gave you their number and opted in. Submit it to Meta for approval first.

Hello {{1}}, this is {{2}} from {{3}}, India. As we discussed on {{4}}, here is our {{5}} price list: {{6}}. Reply YES and I will send a sample.
Reply STOP to end messages.

How often should I follow up with an export buyer?

Follow up on days 3, 7 and 14 after the first message, with one new fact each time, then stop. Stop sooner if the buyer replies. We found no reliable public data on timing, so count your own replies.

Day Channel What to send
1 Email The first email from the template
3 Email, same thread Two lines with one new fact, such as a certificate or a packing photo
7 LinkedIn or phone A connection note, or a call asking for the purchasing manager
14 Email, same thread A last note with your price list: "I will not write again unless you ask"

Log each date, channel and answer. For late payers, use these payment reminder messages.

What export basics do I need before buyers reply?

You need an IEC before you ship: a 10-character DGFT code, the same as your PAN, that you apply for online. The Foreign Trade Policy makes it mandatory for any export, and you must update it every April to June.

  • Notification 41/2026-27 keeps RoDTEP rates and value caps unchanged to 31 December 2026. Check your HS code's rate on the Indian Trade Portal before quoting later shipments.
  • Since 15 September 2026, a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) is not needed for a consignment up to ₹3,00,000 FOB (Notification 36/2026-27). Above that, it is still needed where the policy asks.

What is a good IndiaMART alternative for finding buyers in India?

No single site replaces IndiaMART. ExportersIndia and TradeIndia work the same way, with paid plans. Direct outreach has no listing fee: find companies on Google Maps and their own websites, check them and write to them yourself. Keep IndiaMART for the enquiries it sends you.

IndiaMART's help page, updated 29 March 2026, gives 7 to 70 BuyLeads a week by plan, plus 1 or 2 daily bonus leads.

Option Cost What it gives
IndiaMART Free registration; BuyLeads capped by plan Buyer requirements and enquiries
ExportersIndia, TradeIndia Free sign-up; paid plans Listing, enquiries, buy leads
Direct outreach No listing fee Companies you pick and check yourself

Do not build your outreach list from IndiaMART listings. Its terms of use prohibit "systematic retrieval of IIL Content to create or compile ... a collection, compilation, database or directory (whether through robots, spiders, automatic devices or manual processes)" without written permission. If you sell to Indian buyers on credit, read the MSME 45-day payment rule.

What mistakes lose export buyers?

These mistakes cost replies or money: writing to exporters instead of importers, skipping buyer checks, sending a heavy catalogue first, leaving out the price basis, shipping before payment terms are agreed, and stopping after one email. Send a one-page spec and a link instead, and state FOB or CIF, minimum order and sample terms up front.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find buyers for export from India without paying?

Official portals, exhibitor lists, Google Maps, company websites and a free LinkedIn account show no fee. Marketplace contacts, shipment records and Sales Navigator are paid.

Is Trade Connect free?

Its pages show no fee. Buyer tools need a login with a linked, valid IEC.

Can I message foreign buyers on WhatsApp?

Only if they gave you their number and opted in, and the first message must be an approved template. Email strangers instead.

Is cold email to foreign buyers allowed?

The US CAN-SPAM law covers business email. Other countries have their own rules, so check each one.

Can an AI assistant find buyers for me?

Autobot's Business plan can search Google and company websites, build the buyer sheet, write the emails and follow up. You check the buyers.

About the author

Rahul Vijay co-founded Autobot, built by Convogenie Technologies in Bengaluru. Only the Autobot section promotes our product. Rules and prices change, so check the linked pages before you act.

Sources

General information, not legal advice.

Government and trade bodies

Platforms and terms