How to Verify an Indian Company's Registration, GST and Export Credentials

The Credential Verification Matrix

The matrix prevents a common error: treating one valid-looking document as conclusive proof. Each item answers a narrower question.

Use the matrix as a consistency test, not as a collection exercise. The highest-value question is often: “Do the entity name, role, address, and payment instructions tell one coherent story?”

Step 1: Define the commercial roles before checking portals

1. the legal entity that will issue the quotation and invoice;
2. the legal entity that will sign the purchase order or sales contract;
3. the entity whose bank account will receive payment;
4. the manufacturing entity or entities, if different;
5. the export entity and IEC holder, if it will export directly;
6. the address of the registered office, GST principal place of business, and operating facility;
7. any trader, merchant exporter, or related entity involved in the transaction.

Ask the supplier to provide a simple written statement identifying:

This is not an accusation. It is normal B2B onboarding. The explanation becomes particularly important where a brand name differs from the legal name, a group company performs export documentation, or a merchant exporter sells goods made by a separate factory.

For example, a buyer may contract with Exporter A, which has a valid IEC and GSTIN, while Factory B manufactures the goods. That arrangement can work. The contract, specifications, quality plan, and payment path should explain the relationship. It is less acceptable for the supplier to state that it is the manufacturer while refusing to identify the actual producing entity.

Read how to verify an Indian supplier before placing an order for the wider onboarding sequence. Registration checks are one workstream; product, facility, quality, capacity, commercial, and logistics checks are separate workstreams.

Step 2: Verify a company CIN or LLPIN through MCA

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs maintains records for incorporated companies and limited liability partnerships. A Company Identification Number (CIN) relates to a registered company. A Limited Liability Partnership Identification Number (LLPIN) relates to a registered LLP. A sole proprietorship or conventional partnership may not have either number, so the absence of a CIN is not, by itself, evidence of a false supplier.

Step 3: Verify GSTIN details through the GST portal

A Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) is a 15-character tax identifier issued under India’s GST system. An active GST registration can provide useful public confirmation of the registered name, state, registration status, and principal place of business. It is particularly helpful when the name or address on a quotation needs to be reconciled.

Step 4: Verify IEC and the proposed export role through DGFT

An Importer Exporter Code (IEC) is issued by India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). In many normal commercial situations, an Indian entity that imports or exports goods needs an IEC, although rules and exemptions can apply. The important operational point is to determine who will be the exporter of record and whether the stated entity’s export position is consistent with the proposed shipment.

Step 5: Verify bank details without relying on email alone

1. compare beneficiary name with the legal entity on the pro forma invoice;
2. require a signed explanation for a group-company, merchant-exporter, or third-party payment path;
3. confirm account changes through an established contact using a second channel;
4. use your bank’s beneficiary-validation controls where available;
5. preserve the verification record and payment approval;
6. apply staged payments and inspection conditions where commercially possible.

Payment diversion is a serious risk in cross-border trade. A credential check should include the receiving account, even when company, GST, and IEC records look consistent.

Ask for bank details on formal letterhead and ensure the beneficiary name aligns with the entity that will invoice or with a documented group/export arrangement. Independently confirm any change of bank details using a known phone number or video call contact—not a phone number included only in the change email.

Practical controls include:

Never treat a bank letter by itself as proof of identity. Conversely, a bank account held by a related exporter can be legitimate where the relationship and contractual roles are documented. The key is that the commercial explanation must precede payment, not appear after a query.

Step 6: Check category licences and certificates for relevance

1. the licence or standard required for manufacture in India, if any;
2. the export-side registration or approval required, if any;
3. the destination-market compliance requirement;
4. the entity, facility, product family, and expiry date each document covers.

Many products require sector-specific licences, registrations, test reports, or certifications. Examples may include food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, electrical goods, cosmetics, textiles, timber, or products subject to destination-market safety rules. The right credential depends on the product, manufacturing process, claims made, and importing country.

Do not use a generic “certified supplier” label. Instead, identify:

Step 7: Reconcile credentials with the actual manufacturing and export flow

At this point, assemble the evidence into a single matrix. This makes gaps visible and prevents one team member from reviewing tax details while another assumes the exporter is the factory.

Populate this record before final supplier approval. If one entity performs every role, the matrix is simple. If three entities are involved, you need documented agreements and clear responsibilities for quality, packing, export documents, warranties, confidentiality, and payment.

This matrix is a useful component of the Indian supplier verification checklist: 25 things to check. It does not replace a commercial comparison or factory assessment.

Common discrepancies and how to respond

Red flags and limits

1. repeated changes to legal name, invoice entity, or bank beneficiary;
2. a claimed company or LLP that cannot provide a CIN or LLPIN and cannot explain its actual legal form;
3. inactive or inconsistent GST information with no documented reason;
4. claims of direct export without a clear exporter-of-record explanation;
5. certificates that name unrelated companies, sites, or product categories;
6. pressure to send payment before identity and roles are reconciled;
7. resistance to a reasonable facility, product, or reference review;
8. broad claims of compliance without identifying the exact standard and scope.

Credential verification is valuable, but it is not a fraud detector with a pass/fail output. Escalate when you see:

Conversely, do not reject a supplier simply because it is a small proprietorship, has a new entity, uses a merchant exporter, or operates from a different registered office. Those facts should change the depth of your review, not replace judgment. A smaller supplier may need more direct evidence of facility, capacity, quality control, and financial safeguards.

The guide on identifying fake Indian suppliers and export scams addresses deliberate deception patterns. The supplier scorecard for comparing and selecting Indian suppliers can help weigh credential evidence alongside quality, capacity, communication, price, and delivery performance.

Build a repeatable verification workflow

1. collect a supplier onboarding form with legal roles and addresses;
2. check company/LLP information through MCA where applicable;
3. verify GSTIN through the official public portal;
4. validate IEC and exporter role through DGFT’s current official process where relevant;
5. reconcile bank beneficiary with the contracting entity;
6. identify and validate category-specific licences;
7. complete facility, product, capacity, and quality verification;
8. record findings, exceptions, approver, and date;
9. set payment and inspection controls based on the supplier risk tier;
10. re-check time-sensitive credentials before major repeat orders.

For recurring sourcing, use a standard workflow rather than re-inventing the checks for every supplier:

The workflow should be proportionate. A repeat order from a proven supplier may need a light update. A new supplier handling custom goods, significant advance payment, or regulated products needs deeper review. Altus Exports can help establish and run a supplier-verification workflow that connects documents with practical factory and production evidence.

Conclusion

To verify an Indian company’s registration, GST, and export credentials, use the Credential Verification Matrix. Confirm the legal entity through MCA where applicable, check GSTIN through the official portal, validate the IEC/exporter role through DGFT’s current process, reconcile bank instructions, and examine product-specific licences. Then connect those records to the actual manufacturing, quality, and export flow.

If you need support reconciling supplier documents with facility, production, and export evidence, Altus Exports can help structure a proportionate verification process before a new supplier is approved. Send the product category, supplier details, transaction structure, and destination market to define the appropriate scope Continue with how to verify an Indian supplier before placing an order or global sourcing partner India for coordinated local verification..