MARKET
These are the buyers and stores we work with on the ground, and the conditions you have to meet before selling.
There is a community of chefs
Delhi and Bengaluru have communities of chefs who know Asian, Western, and Indian cuisine. You can get their input through tastings and product development.
Importing requires an FSSAI license
To import food, the importer needs an FSSAI Central License and an Importer Exporter Code (IEC).
Veg/non-veg marking is required
Food containing ingredients of animal origin carries a brown mark. Milk and dairy products, honey, and similar items are excluded from the assessment, and packaged drinking water, alcoholic beverages, and some other products are outside the scope of the marking.
Buyers from across the country gather at trade shows
AAHAR (next held in March 2027 in New Delhi) and Anuga Select India, held in Mumbai at the end of September, are places to make contact with buyers. The dates are Trade Shows in India.
NETWORK · नेटवर्क
The partners we can name are GOTTEA and Harajuku Tokyo Cafe. For food wholesalers and supermarket buyers we do not have their consent, so we share those names verbally at the first consultation.
CHEF NETWORK
Chefs in Delhi and Bengaluru
These are the chefs we can invite to tastings. They know Asian, Western, and Indian cuisine.
What we can do
Validation through tastings, and input on product development
SUPPLIERS
Food wholesalers and supermarket buyers
Connections with food wholesalers handling Japanese and Asian ingredients and imported goods, and with modern trade buyers.
What we can do
Setting up buyer meetings, comparing trading terms
EXHIBITIONS
World Food India and AAHAR
These are the major food trade shows in India.
What we can do
Exhibition procedures, running the booth, buyer meetings with visiting buyers
PROCESS
In food, we work in this order every time. You can engage us stage by stage.
01
Check whether the product will be accepted
Through interviews with cafés and chefs and through tastings, we look into how the taste, the uses, and the price are received.
What we do specifically
What stays with you
An assessment of acceptance and a comparison with competitors02
Check whether the product can be imported
We check FSSAI regulations and labeling requirements, and the distribution routes for foodservice and for retail.
What we do specifically
What stays with you
A list of the procedures required before selling03
Put the importer's license in place and ship the first order
We compare candidate importers, prepare and file the FSSAI application documents, draft the label, and check the shipping documents. We ask you to sign the application documents and prepare the products.
What we do specifically
What stays with you
The importer's license and a full set of shipping documents04
Expand through test sales
We approach café chains and D2C brands about carrying the product, and start initial sales through pop-ups and trade shows.
What we do specifically
What stays with you
Initial sales results and the next accounts to meetCITIES · शहर
Delhi / Gurugram
Our India subsidiary is here, and AAHAR is held here as well.
Bengaluru
This is a city with a community of chefs.
WHO YOU'LL MEET
Food wholesalers
What to look at:Landed price, shelf life, FSSAI documents
Chefs
What to look at:Taste, how it is used, stable supply
Supermarket buyers
What to look at:How it looks on the shelf, and the price
Café chains
What to look at:Fit with the menu, and how easy it is to handle in the store
GLOSSARY
FSSAI
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. An importer's license and compliance with labeling standards are required.
Veg/non-veg marking
The green and brown marks that show whether a product contains ingredients of animal origin.
HoReCa
The foodservice channel made up of hotels, restaurants, and cafés.
Modern trade
Organized retail such as supermarkets.
ReFoM
A scheme for registering Japanese manufacturing facilities with FSSAI.
COST
●We quote stage by stage.
●Venue fees for tasting events, shipping costs for samples, exhibition fees for trade shows, and license application fees are charged at cost.
Discuss a quote →FAQ
Liquor taxes and licenses differ by state, so we start by deciding which states to target. For details, see the import and licensing page.
Securing a cold chain is the prerequisite. We check the distribution routes at the research stage.
It is required for most packaged foods. We check the origin of the ingredients and additives and make the determination.
WHO IT'S FOR
Companies this suits
SOJAPAN
We support Japanese companies entering India, from market research through local partner development, test sales, and import.