Anyone can build a website that says "exporter". What cannot be faked quickly is a set of government records that all point to the same legal entity. Five of them are public, free to look up, and together take about ten minutes. We publish ours so you can run the same checks on us first.
What is an IEC, and how do I check it?
The Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) is a 10-character code issued by India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). No business can export goods from India without one. For a company the IEC is simply its PAN, the tax number. Ask the supplier for the code, then look it up on the DGFT portal and confirm that the legal name matches and the status is active.
Ours is AALCD7830P. Keep that string in mind, because it turns up again in the next check.
What does the GSTIN tell me?
A GSTIN has 15 characters: a two-digit state code, the ten-character PAN of the taxpayer, an entity number, the letter Z, and a check digit. That structure gives you a free cross-check. For a company, the PAN inside the GSTIN must equal the IEC. Ours is 09AALCD7830P1ZV: 09 is Uttar Pradesh, AALCD7830P is the PAN, and it is the same as the IEC above.
Search the GSTIN on the government GST portal's taxpayer search. It returns the legal name, trade name, registration date and whether the registration is active. If the PAN inside the GSTIN differs from the IEC, ask why before you do anything else.
How do I confirm the company actually exists?
A company registered in India carries a 21-character Corporate Identification Number (CIN) issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Look it up under the MCA's company master data: it shows the legal name, the status (it should say active), the incorporation date and the directors.
The CIN also explains itself. Ours, U82990UP2025PTC226042, reads as: unlisted company, activity code 82990, registered in Uttar Pradesh, incorporated in 2025, private limited company. A young company is not a bad sign by itself, but it should change how you pay: a first order on a 100% irrevocable L/C at sight is a fair way to make up for the missing history. We explain the trade-offs in LC vs TT for a first order.
Is a D-U-N-S number worth asking for?
A D-U-N-S number is a nine-digit identifier from Dun & Bradstreet. It proves that the entity exists in D&B's database and lets you pull a credit report if you subscribe to one. It does not, by itself, prove that the company pays on time. Ours is 771635155. Treat it as one more record that should agree with the others, not as a rating.
Which trade registrations matter for food products?
It depends on the product. Rice, fresh fruit and vegetables and several other farm products fall under APEDA, whose registration-cum-membership certificate (RCMC) an exporter needs. Spices have their own board. A food exporter should also hold an FSSAI licence. Membership of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) is voluntary but shows the firm sits inside the export ecosystem.
Ask for the certificate number and check it with the issuing body. We hold an APEDA RCMC, an FSSAI licence and FIEO membership (RCMC No. RCMC/FIEO/19186/2026-2027), and the scans are on our certifications page.
Which red flags should make me slow down?
Names that differ between documents, a PAN that does not match across IEC and GSTIN, a "company" with no CIN, and payment instructions that point to a personal account or to a different entity from the one that invoiced. Pressure for 100% advance payment on a first order is the most common one, and the pressure usually comes with a reason why an L/C "will not work".
None of these proves fraud. Each is a reason to ask a question and to move to a safer structure: a small first order, an L/C at sight, and an SGS or Intertek inspection at the loading port. We welcome all three.
Run these five checks on any supplier, including us. If a number does not match, we would rather you ask than assume.
— Nitik · Darsavio EXIM