OK PH Brains . . .

[khushy]

My wife and I are about to trundle off to India on a business trip.

Basically we want to identify manufacturing companies/individuals of high-class . . .

mens suits
womenswear
textiles
jewellery
handicrafts
etc

who are in a cooperative (fairtrade) - we want to pay the workers directly so that they benefit from our new import/sales business in the UK!

We have made a few contacts - but are struggling to get right down to the actual artisans!

Any ideas, gratefully received.

Khushy

[Eric Mc]

Indian Chambers of Commerce?

I would suggest that all the larger Indian towns and cities have something along those lines.
They might even have their own websites.

[khushy]

Cheers Eric

Am working my way through those as we speak.

Really need a like-minded contact there . . .

Still open to new ideas???

Khushy

[jas xjr]

mate just got back from india . was there for 17 weeks and i am of indian origin and they did my fu*king head in! you are from abroad and they think you are stupid. sorry to say this. hope you are more patient than i was.
still managed to complete some projects but most days i just lost the will to live. good luck, and do not trust anybody,they just say yes to anything. quality control,whats that? delivery dates? add a few months for luck.
pesonally if you want to make money in india,just buy agricultural land and split it into building plots plots. i am doing this and you may be surprised at what they fetch.

[steviebee]

Try UK Trade & Investment (Division of the DTi) .

[golfman]

I have been to both Pakistan and China in the last 2 years. I am now stopping all supplies from India and Pakistan and now solely concentrating on China.

Dont go anywhere like this without taking a guide who has contacts (I learnt the hard way). I have a great one for China who could source anything for you if interested, she doesnt come cheap but will save you about 10 years of messing about!

[BigAlinEmbra]

I have a friend who is planning on opening a fair trade clothing shop in Edinburgh.
Don't know if this is what you are doing of if you are importing in bulk for wholesale.
If you are wholesale he may well be interested...