Executive summary
The right Indian partner can shorten market entry; the wrong one can cost years. This checklist is for Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese companies and startups choosing a distributor, manufacturing partner or joint-venture partner in India. It covers free official checks, what to verify beyond them, and the contract points that most often cause disputes.
Step 1: Define what you need the partner to do
Write a one-page brief: products, territories, customer types, volumes, service obligations and the decision rights you want to keep. The brief decides whether you need a distributor, a contract manufacturer, a systems integrator or a joint-venture partner. Our guide to entry models compares the options.
Step 2: Free official checks
These checks confirm existence and registration only.
Step 3: Checks beyond the registry
Step 4: Contract points that matter
Step 5: Start small
A time-limited pilot or a non-exclusive first year lets both sides prove performance before deeper commitments.
What this checklist does not do
It is not legal advice and does not replace professional due diligence. Registry data can be out of date; confirm critical facts directly.
How Nirji Ventures engages
The Nirji Community is a private network for companies and startups exploring Asia Pacific expansion; expressing interest is free and does not promise funding, introductions or programme admission. NirjiX, the group's consulting firm, takes on paid market-entry, partner-diligence and project-execution engagements. The two paths are separate: Community participation is not a consulting engagement, and consulting enquiries do not require Community membership.