How should international distributors in developing markets like India be vetted, and what red flags should we watch for?

Vetting distributors in India requires careful due diligence but members warn the market is high-risk. **Start with LinkedIn verification** — check that the company and key contacts have legitimate profiles and verifiable history. **Ask your existing Indian contacts** for references and background checks; personal networks are more reliable than online searches alone. **Request a video call** to assess professionalism and legitimacy before committing.

Members flagged critical pitfalls: even apparently legitimate importers often have minimal online presence, which is common but makes verification harder. More importantly, **expect aggressive cost-cutting pressure** — distributors typically spend significant time negotiating your cost price down to unsustainable levels, then drag out negotiations for months only to abandon the deal. **Be wary of time-wasting chancers**, which members describe as prevalent in the Indian market. One experienced member recommended steering clear of India altogether due to the combination of verification difficulty and poor deal outcomes, though this reflects individual risk tolerance rather than universal advice.