You've decided to source glass packaging from India. Maybe your previous European supplier raised prices 18% in two quarters; maybe your Chinese partner can no longer match your colour-matching SLA; maybe you've grown past the point where Etsy-grade jars from a generic catalogue work for your brand. Whatever the trigger, sourcing from a manufacturer 8,000 km away - in a different jurisdiction, a different time zone, and a different supply-chain ecosystem - is an exercise in knowing what to ask before you ask it.
Here's a practical checklist, written from the manufacturer's side of the table. We'd rather you ask these questions and get good answers - from us or anyone else - than skip them and learn the hard way on a 12,000-piece order.
1. What's the real MOQ?
The catalogue MOQ is rarely the binding constraint. Most Firozabad manufacturers will tell you a number like "MOQ 500 pieces" or "MOQ 1,000 pieces." That number is the economic MOQ for the manufacturer - below it, the setup cost (mould, decoration tooling, QA pass) isn't recovered against the per-piece margin.
What you actually need to ask:
- MOQ for a standard catalogue form, no customisation: typically 200–500 pieces in this region. We start at 50 pieces for catalogue forms because we keep blanks in stock.
- MOQ with a custom decoration (your label, your colour): 500–1,000 pieces is standard. Below 500 you'll be quoted a setup charge that's roughly equivalent to the per-piece premium of a 1,000-piece run.
- MOQ for a custom mould (your shape): 5,000 pieces typically - sometimes 3,000. The mould itself is a one-time cost ($800–$3,000 depending on complexity); the MOQ is what makes the per-piece economics work afterwards.
- MOQ for matched sets (jar + lid + secondary packaging): set by whichever component has the highest MOQ. Usually the lid, if it's a custom finish.
A reputable manufacturer will tell you both the minimum that's technically feasible and the minimum that's economically sensible. Push to know both.
2. What does the lead time clock include?
"Lead time 6 weeks" is the most misunderstood phrase in B2B sourcing. Six weeks from when? Six weeks until what?
A clean lead time has four phases, each of which should be on the quote:
- Sampling. From PO sign to physical sample in your hands. Typically 7–14 days for catalogue forms with a new decoration; 21–35 days for a new mould.
- Approval round. Built into the timeline because you will want changes. We budget 7 days for the brand to inspect and approve. Most do it in two.
- Bulk production. Forming, decoration, QA, packing. For a 5,000–10,000 piece run with no exotic decoration, plan 21–28 days. Add a week for hand-finishing (gold band, multi-pass screen print, decal application).
- Shipping in transit. India to North Sea / Mediterranean ports: 22–28 days by sea. India to US East Coast: 28–35 days. Add 7–10 days for inland from port to your warehouse. Air freight cuts this to 4–7 days but multiplies cost by roughly 8x.
A clean quote should give you all four numbers separately. If a supplier just says "6 weeks total," ask which phases they've estimated and which they've made up. Almost always, the bulk production figure is correct and the sampling/shipping is hand-wavey.
3. DDP, FOB, or something in between?
Incoterms - the three-letter codes on commercial invoices - determine who pays for what and who carries which risk during shipping. Three matter for glass packaging from India:
FOB (Free on Board)
The manufacturer delivers your goods to the port (typically Nhava Sheva / Mumbai) and loads them onto the ship. From there, it's your problem: freight, marine insurance, import duties, port handling at destination, inland transit.
When it makes sense: you have a freight forwarder you trust, your import-side processes are dialled in, and you want the lowest possible factory-gate price.
When it doesn't: first-time importers, or anyone for whom a delay in customs is more expensive than a slightly higher per-piece price.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)
The manufacturer (or their nominated forwarder) handles everything - sea freight, marine insurance, import customs clearance at your destination port, duty payment, inland transit to your warehouse door. The price on the invoice is what the goods cost you, landed, in your warehouse.
When it makes sense: you're new to importing, you want price certainty, you don't want a single moment of customs anxiety. Most brands at first commercial volume should default to this.
The catch: DDP includes a forwarder margin and a duty buffer. Expect the all-in DDP number to be 12–18% higher than FOB + your own freight estimate. That difference buys you risk transfer and time.
EXW (Ex Works)
The manufacturer makes the goods available at the factory gate. Everything from there is on you, including the truck to the port. Rarely worth it for international glass shipments - the cost-savings versus FOB are small and the operational overhead is large.
For most first-time buyers from India, DDP is the right answer. Once you've imported 5–10 containers and trust your forwarder, FOB starts making sense.
4. What does QA actually look like?
Glass is a fragile, finicky material to inspect. A single 20-foot container of candle jars holds 20,000–40,000 pieces. Nobody inspects every piece by hand. The question is what sampling methodology your manufacturer actually uses.
The industry-standard answer is AQL 2.5 / Level II - the ISO 2859 sampling standard, with an "Acceptable Quality Limit" of 2.5% defective for major defects, 4.0% for minor. On a 10,000-piece lot, that means inspecting roughly 200 pieces by hand, with a pass criterion of ≤7 majors and ≤14 minors.
Don't accept "we do QA" without specifics. Ask:
- What's the sampling standard? (AQL 2.5 / Level II is the floor; AQL 1.5 / Level III is premium.)
- What's classified as major vs. minor? Get the defect catalogue in writing. "Stones in glass >1mm" should be major; "Stones in glass <0.5mm in non-decorated zone" might be minor.
- Who does the QA? In-house inspectors, third-party (SGS, Intertek, Bureau Veritas), or both?
- Is there a pre-shipment inspection (PSI)? A third-party SGS or Intertek PSI typically costs $250–$400 per container and is worth it for first orders.
- What's the policy on defects discovered after shipment? Replacement on the next order? Credit note? Refund? In writing.
The five-question version
If you only have time for a 10-minute call with a prospective Indian manufacturer, ask these five:
- What's the MOQ for a custom decoration on a catalogue form?
- From PO sign to my warehouse, broken into the four phases, what's a realistic timeline?
- Can you quote DDP to my city, and what's that vs. FOB?
- What's your AQL sampling standard, and can I see your defect catalogue?
- What happens if a container arrives with 5% major defects?
If those answers come back clearly and confidently, in writing, you've found a partner. If they come back as marketing copy ("we use the highest quality"), you've found a brochure.
Sourcing glass from India for the first time? We publish our actual MOQs, lead times, and DDP rates per region on request - no salesperson middleware. Start an RFQ.