Align IndiaConsultancy
Container cranes at a busy shipping port at dusk

Services

Whatever you need running in India.

You come to us for one of two reasons: to set up and sell in India, or to buy and make in India for export. Five services cover both, and each ends with something running, checked against your standard and handed to your own team.

Enter India

Set up, sell and operate in India.

01 · Market Entry & First Clients

Your company in India, trading

The legal vehicle you choose determines what you can do in India for years. Liaison offices cannot earn revenue. Branches expose the parent to unlimited liability. Subsidiaries carry statutory obligations from the first day. We match the structure to your sector, timeline and commercial intent, set it up, and then do what most advisers do not: open the market for you, from first sales calls to signed contracts.

What we deliver

Entity selection
Subsidiary, branch or liaison office, assessed against your sector, timeline and revenue model, with the regulatory consequences of each set out clearly.
Company formation
MCA filings, director appointments, registered office and statutory set-up for a fully constituted Indian entity.
RBI and FEMA compliance
Foreign direct investment reporting and ongoing FEMA filings for capital brought into India.
Tax registration
GST registration in each state of operation, together with PAN, TAN and professional tax.
Sector licensing
Import licences and sector approvals identified before you apply, with licensed specialists engaged where a sector requires them.
Market narrative
One agreed message on who you are and what you offer India, approved by you once and delivered through one voice. Mixed messages in year one cost credibility that is hard to win back.
First clients
Target accounts identified, sales meetings run, terms negotiated and contracts closed on your behalf, so revenue starts while the entity is still new.
02 · Supplier & Partner Discovery

Your partners, checked in person

India has no shortage of suppliers who will agree to any specification, timeline or price. The difference between a capable partner and an expensive mistake is verification on the ground. We identify candidates through our own network, visit them, and qualify them against your requirements before you sign.

What we deliver

Supplier identification
Manufacturers, traders and distributors across India's industrial clusters, matched to your specification rather than pulled from a directory.
On-site due diligence
Factory visits, capability assessments and compliance checks completed before any relationship is formalised.
Distribution partners
Identification and qualification of distributors, agents and channel partners for B2B and consumer markets.
Joint-venture partners
Search and initial qualification where a local partner is a regulatory requirement or a strategic choice.
Commercial negotiation
Pricing and contract terms negotiated on your behalf, protecting your position throughout.
Supplier monitoring
Periodic site visits and performance reviews to confirm standards are maintained after onboarding.
03 · Operations Launch & Oversight

Your operation, running

Remote management rarely works in India, but neither does a consultant who never leaves. We get the operation running, build the structure that keeps it running, and transfer it to a team that reports to you. You own the operation and the people. Most of our work is project-based; where an operation needs continuing senior oversight, we stay on for as long as that adds value.

What we deliver

Operational launch
Meetings, counterparties, regulators and site coordination handled directly until the operation is live.
SOPs
Written standard operating procedures for each function, so the operation runs on process rather than on one person.
Hiring the operators
The people who will run your India operation, identified, assessed and hired, with employment contracts, PF and ESIC in place.
Accountability framework
Roles, KPIs, reporting lines and a compliance calendar, so head office can see performance without being on the ground.
Handover to your payroll
The team moves onto your payroll with a structured transition, so the operation never depends on us to function.
Ongoing oversight
Where an operation needs continuing senior attention, such as regulators, key accounts or quality, we stay on as your oversight on a defined scope.
Work on your terms
Project-based, ongoing oversight, or a structure built around your situation. When you expand to a new state, sector or product line, we come back for that launch.

Source from India

Buy, make or build in India for export.

04 · Sourcing & Export Manufacturing

Your products, made in India

Buyers worldwide are adding India to supply chains that once ran only through China, and India's trade agreements are cutting the duty they pay: since July 2026, for example, the UK charges no import duty on almost all goods made in India. The difference between a dependable Indian supply base and an expensive lesson is work on the ground: finding manufacturers who can hold your specification, getting the first production run right, and shipping with the paperwork that secures the duty saving. We do that work, then hand over a supply chain your own team runs.

What we deliver

Sourcing and supplier development
Manufacturers matched to your specification across India's industrial clusters, visited and qualified, with samples, pricing and trial orders managed through to approval.
Contract manufacturing
A capable Indian factory producing to your design: tooling, process sign-off, first-article inspection and the ramp to volume, with your designs protected in the contract.
Your own export factory
Where owning the plant makes sense: state and industrial-park selection, export schemes such as SEZ and export-oriented units, state incentives, approvals, construction oversight and hiring, handed over to your management.
Quality control
Pre-production checks, in-line and pre-shipment inspections against your standard, with independent laboratories engaged for testing.
Export compliance
Certification for your market, such as UKCA or CE marking, FDA registration and REACH, plus export documentation and the rules-of-origin evidence that secures the lower duty under India's trade agreements.
Supply-chain handover
Supplier scorecards, approved-vendor files and a monitoring routine, so your own team runs the supply base after we step back.

Both directions

Moving goods into and out of India.

05 · Trade & Logistics

Your goods, moving

Cross-border trade with India involves carriers, customs, classification, ports and documentation. An error at any point delays cargo or creates a liability that surfaces years later. We manage the full movement through established relationships at India's major ports and trade corridors.

What we deliver

Ocean and air freight
FCL, LCL and air cargo across major trade lanes, with carrier selection matched to each consignment.
Customs clearance
Documentation, duty calculation and regulatory compliance at Indian ports, handled end to end.
HS classification
Classification decisions made correctly at entry, the point where future tax exposure is created.
Route planning
Lane and carrier choices that balance transit time, cost and reliability.
Cargo insurance
Marine and transit cover structured to the value, mode and route of each shipment.
Port and inland coordination
Port handling, inland container depots and last-mile delivery, with exceptions managed actively.

Not sure where to start?

Tell us what you need running and by when. We will tell you candidly which of these you need, and which you don't.

Speak with us