The process
From first conversation to first shipment.
Here is exactly what working with BolarForge looks like — step by step, with honest timelines and clear responsibility boundaries at each stage.
Tell Us Your Requirement
Your message → BolarForge response within 48 business hours
What happens
Submit your sourcing requirement — the product, grade or specification, estimated quantity, destination, and any certification requirements. No commitment is required at this stage.
What you get
BolarForge reviews your requirement and responds within 48 business hours to confirm whether it is within scope and what the next step looks like.
Important: If your requirement is outside what we can currently help with, we will tell you at this stage — before either party invests further time.
Supplier Identification and Shortlisting
Typically 5–15 business days after scope is confirmed
What happens
BolarForge identifies and shortlists Indian suppliers against your specification using local market knowledge and direct engagement. We conduct basic due diligence — documentation review, registration checks, and on-site contact where the engagement requires it.
What you get
You receive a shortlist of suppliers with relevant information on each — what they produce, their location, applicable registrations, and indicative pricing where available.
Important: Timeline varies by category and the availability of suitable suppliers at the time of search. Complex or niche requirements may take longer.
Sample Coordination and Approval
Sample dispatch within 1–3 weeks of supplier confirmation; international courier transit varies
What happens
Once you approve a supplier from the shortlist, BolarForge arranges samples, reviews them against your specification on the ground in India, and coordinates international dispatch to your address.
What you get
You receive samples with a brief India-side report. You evaluate and decide whether to proceed to a commercial order.
Important: Sample courier timelines and import procedures at your destination are outside BolarForge's control. Sample and courier costs are typically passed through at cost.
Order Confirmation and Pre-Shipment Check
Pre-shipment inspection within 1–3 business days of production completion
What happens
After you approve samples and agree commercial terms, the order is placed with the supplier. Before goods leave India, BolarForge conducts a pre-shipment inspection — visual and physical checks, packaging review, and photo documentation of the lot.
What you get
You receive a pre-shipment report with photos. Any discrepancy is flagged before the shipment is released, giving you the opportunity to address it.
Important: Where on-site inspection is not possible, BolarForge conducts document and photo-based verification with the supplier. This is agreed in advance as part of the engagement scope. Lab testing, if required for your import compliance, must be arranged separately with an accredited lab.
Documentation and Dispatch
Documentation coordination: 3–7 business days; freight transit is managed by your freight forwarder
What happens
BolarForge coordinates export documentation with the supplier — certificates of analysis, phytosanitary certificates where applicable, packing list, and commercial invoice — and liaises with the freight forwarder for dispatch.
What you get
You receive document copies and shipping confirmation. From this point, freight tracking is managed between you and your freight forwarder.
Important: The supplier is the exporter of record. BolarForge coordinates documentation — it does not guarantee its accuracy for your specific import requirements. You are responsible for confirming what documentation your destination country requires.
Common questions
Answered honestly
How does BolarForge charge for its services?
BolarForge charges the buyer directly — not the supplier. Depending on the engagement, the fee is structured as a fixed service fee, a project fee, or a value-based fee (a percentage of the sourcing value, agreed in advance). All fee structures are disclosed and agreed in writing before any work begins. BolarForge does not receive commissions or payments from suppliers.
How long does the full sourcing process take?
It depends on the category, specification complexity, and supplier availability. As a rough guide: feasibility response within 48 business hours; supplier shortlist within 5–15 business days; sample dispatch within 1–3 weeks of supplier confirmation; pre-shipment check within 1–3 days of order completion. BolarForge provides a realistic project timeline at the start of each engagement — we will not commit to timelines we cannot meet.
What happens if something goes wrong — quality issue, supplier delay, documentation problem?
BolarForge coordinates on your behalf but does not hold inventory or assume liability for supplier performance. If a quality issue is identified during the pre-shipment check, we flag it before the shipment is released so you can decide how to proceed. If an issue emerges after shipment, we represent your interests with the supplier in resolving it — this is part of why having local representation matters. We do not disappear after a shipment is arranged.
What is the minimum engagement to work with BolarForge?
BolarForge works with buyers sourcing commercial quantities for import. We are not set up for retail or personal orders. If you are unsure whether your requirement is a fit, share it — we will tell you honestly before either party commits.
Who am I dealing with at BolarForge?
You deal directly with the founder. There are no account managers, no handoffs to a support team, and no outsourced agents. BolarForge is a small, focused operation — that is by design. You have a single point of contact who knows your requirement and follows it through.
Who is responsible for import compliance in my country?
You are. BolarForge coordinates export documentation in India. What is required for import into your specific country — customs duties, food safety registration, labelling regulations — is your responsibility. If you are unsure what documentation you need from the India side, we can discuss it. We recommend also consulting a customs broker or import specialist in your destination country.
Have a question not answered here?
Ask directly — responses within 48 business hours.