Vendor Policy & Guidelines

1. Vendor Eligibility

To register as a vendor on Eximpova, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a legally registered business entity in India (proprietorship, partnership, LLP, private limited company, cooperative, or SHG) or an individual artisan or craftsperson operating under their own name
• Possess a valid PAN card (individual or business)
• Hold a valid GST registration (GSTIN) — or be eligible for GST exemption under the composition scheme for annual turnover below ₹20 lakhs
• Hold a valid IEC (Import Export Code) if you intend to fulfill international orders — IEC can be obtained within 3 days from the DGFT portal
• Have the legal right to sell the products you intend to list — you must be the manufacturer, authorised reseller, or direct artisan producer
• Have a valid bank account in your name or business name for receiving payments

Aggregators or brokers who do not directly own or manufacture the listed goods must disclose this at registration and must have written authorisation from the original manufacturer.

2. Account Registration

Each vendor may maintain only one active account on the platform. Duplicate accounts are not permitted and will be merged or terminated without notice.

You are responsible for:

• Providing accurate business name, registered address, GSTIN, and contact information
• Keeping your account credentials confidential — do not share your password with third parties
• Updating your profile immediately if your business details change (address, GSTIN, bank account, contact person)
• Ensuring your profile photo, company logo, and business description accurately represent your business

Verification:

After registration, our team may contact you to verify your business documents before your listings become publicly visible. Verification typically takes 2–5 business days. You will receive an email notification once your account is approved.

We reserve the right to request additional documentation at any time for compliance purposes.

3. Product Listing Standards

Every product listed on Eximpova must meet the following standards to ensure a trustworthy experience for buyers:

Accuracy:

• Product title must clearly and accurately describe the item (material, technique, dimensions, finish)
• Product description must be original, truthful, and not copied from other sellers or websites
• All photographs must be of the actual product being sold — stock images, AI-generated images, or photographs of different products are not permitted
• Product dimensions, weight, and material composition must be accurately stated
• If the product is handmade, this must be stated. Natural variations in handmade products must be disclosed

Pricing:

• Prices must be in Indian Rupees (INR) for domestic listings and in USD/EUR for international listings
• Prices must include all applicable taxes (GST) or clearly state whether they are tax-exclusive
• Artificially inflated "original price" crossed out to show a fake discount is prohibited

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ):

• A realistic MOQ must be specified for every product
• MOQ must be honoured — you may not accept orders below the stated MOQ and then demand a higher quantity
• Changes to MOQ after a buyer has submitted an RFQ or placed an order are not permitted without the buyer's agreement

Lead Time:

• Estimated production and dispatch time must be accurately stated
• Lead times must account for actual production capacity — do not understate to attract orders you cannot fulfil on time

4. Prohibited Items

The following products are strictly prohibited on the platform. Listing any prohibited item will result in immediate product removal and may result in account suspension:

• Counterfeit or replica goods — items that infringe on trademarks, patents, or copyrights of any brand or individual
• Endangered species products — ivory, tortoiseshell, shahtoosh wool, or any item made from species listed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)
• Stolen or illegally acquired cultural property — antiques or artefacts without valid documentation of legal ownership and export clearance
• Weapons, ammunition, and explosives of any type
• Narcotics, controlled substances, and products used for drug manufacture
• Politically sensitive or offensive material that incites hatred, discrimination, or violence
• Adulterated food products or products making false health or medicinal claims
• Unlicensed pharmaceuticals or medical devices requiring regulatory approval
• Items subject to Indian export embargo or dual-use goods requiring special government licences
• Misleadingly labelled goods — e.g., machine-made goods sold as handmade, synthetic fibre sold as natural

If you are unsure whether a product is permitted, contact our vendor support team before listing it.

5. Pricing & Minimum Order

Vendors are free to set their own prices and MOQs. However, the following rules apply:

• Prices must be competitive and reflect genuine market value
• You may not accept a buyer's order and then later demand a higher price — the quoted or listed price is binding once an order is confirmed
• Custom quotations sent through the RFQ system must be honoured if accepted by the buyer within the validity period stated in the quote
• All prices must clearly state the Incoterm basis (EXW factory, FOB port, CIF destination) for international orders
• Price manipulation — listing at artificially low prices to attract buyers and then refusing to fulfil — will result in account suspension

6. Order Fulfilment

Reliable fulfilment is the foundation of buyer trust. Vendors agree to:

• Confirm or decline orders within 48 hours of receipt
• Dispatch within the stated lead time — if a delay is unavoidable, notify the buyer and our support team immediately
• Pack goods appropriately for international shipping — all handicrafts must be individually wrapped in bubble wrap or foam, placed in double-walled export cartons, with correct handling marks (Fragile, This Side Up, Country of Origin)
• Provide tracking information within 24 hours of dispatch
• Prepare complete export documentation — commercial invoice, packing list, Certificate of Origin, and Shipping Bill — for all international orders
• Not cancel confirmed orders except in cases of genuine force majeure (natural disaster, government order, etc.), and only after notifying the buyer

Vendors with a cancellation rate above 5% or a fulfilment delay rate above 10% will receive a formal warning. Continued non-compliance will result in account suspension.

7. Export Compliance

Vendors who wish to fulfil international orders must comply with all applicable Indian and international trade regulations:

• Hold a valid IEC (Import Export Code) from DGFT
• Be registered with EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) if exporting handicraft goods commercially — EPCH membership provides RCMC which is required for export incentive schemes
• File GST returns regularly and maintain a valid LUT (Letter of Undertaking) for zero-rated exports
• Correctly declare goods with accurate HS codes on all shipping documents
• Ensure all wooden packing materials comply with ISPM 15 (heat treatment certificate)
• Obtain Phytosanitary certificates for goods containing natural plant materials (bamboo, cane, wood) where required by destination country
• For goods with GI (Geographical Indication) tags — ensure the product genuinely originates from the GI-designated region and meets the production standards for that GI

Eximpova is not liable for customs clearance issues, import duty disputes, or delivery failures caused by incorrect or incomplete export documentation.

8. Quality Standards

Quality is the reputation of Indian handicrafts globally. Vendors agree to:

• Dispatch only goods that match the product listing in material, dimensions, finish, and quality
• Not substitute products without buyer consent — e.g., sending a lower grade or different colour variant without prior agreement
• Accept pre-shipment quality inspection by third-party agencies (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) when requested by buyers for large orders
• Maintain consistent quality across repeat orders — quality degradation in subsequent batches is a common complaint and will be penalised
• For food and wellness products — comply with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) regulations and provide valid FSSAI licence number on the listing

Buyers may submit quality complaints within 15 days of receipt of goods. Our quality dispute process will require the vendor to provide proof of the goods dispatched (photographs, inspection reports). If the complaint is upheld, the vendor will bear replacement or refund costs.

9. Payments & Commission

The following payment terms apply to all transactions on the platform:

• Payments from buyers are processed through the platform's payment gateway or directly between parties for large B2B orders (as agreed)
• Eximpova charges a platform commission on completed orders — current commission rates are displayed in your Vendor Dashboard. Rates may be updated with 30 days' notice.
• Commission is deducted from the payment before remittance to the vendor, or invoiced separately for large orders
• Vendor remittances are processed within 7–14 business days after buyer confirmation of receipt (for standard orders) or after expiry of the dispute window
• For international orders, payment is remitted in INR to your Indian bank account unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in writing
• Vendors may not request or accept payments outside the platform for orders originating through the platform (this is fee circumvention and will result in account suspension)

10. Returns & Disputes

Vendor responsibilities in the event of buyer disputes:

• Respond to all buyer disputes within 48 hours through the platform's dispute centre
• Provide evidence (dispatch photographs, courier receipts, inspection reports) to support your position
• Accept returns for goods that are genuinely defective, damaged in transit, or materially different from the product listing
• For international returns — bear return shipping costs if the fault lies with the vendor; buyer bears return costs for change-of-mind returns (unless agreed otherwise)
• Eximpova's dispute resolution team will act as mediator. Our decision is final for disputes below ₹50,000. Disputes above ₹50,000 may be escalated to arbitration.

11. Intellectual Property

• You retain ownership of your product photographs and descriptions
• By listing on the platform, you grant Eximpova a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display your product images and descriptions on the platform and in our marketing materials (catalogues, social media, trade fair materials)
• You must not use any brand name, trademark, or copyrighted material owned by others in your product listings without authorisation
• You must not copy product descriptions or photographs from other vendors
• GI-tagged product names may only be used by vendors who can prove that their product genuinely originates from the designated GI region

12. Suspension & Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate a vendor account for any of the following reasons:

• Listing prohibited items
• Providing false information at registration or in product listings
• Persistent failure to fulfil orders on time
• Repeated buyer complaints upheld against the vendor
• Fee circumvention (accepting payments outside the platform)
• Fraudulent activity, impersonation, or identity theft
• Violation of any applicable Indian or international law
• Abusive, threatening, or harassing behaviour towards buyers or platform staff

In most cases, we will issue a warning before suspension. Suspended vendors may appeal the decision by contacting vendor support within 14 days. Permanently terminated vendors may not re-register.

Upon termination, pending payments for completed orders will be processed. Payments for disputed or incomplete orders will be withheld pending resolution.

Questions & Vendor Support

If you have any questions about this policy before registering, please contact our vendor support team:

• Email: support@eximpova.com
• Phone: +91 11 4567 8900
• Or use our Contact Form