Key takeaways
- QIMA is the better choice when you inspect in several countries, want self-serve booking and same-day reports, or need an accredited inspection body and in-house lab testing.
- Clear To Load is built for orders made in India only: a Jodhpur base, every Indian city covered through three travel bands, and a Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared verdict on every report.
- QIMA scores 15 of 18 on our published rubric and Clear To Load scores 10. QIMA wins on accreditation, booking, report speed and reach; Clear To Load wins on India presence.
- QIMA publishes a starting price of US$419 per man-day with travel included, but no India-specific rate.
- Many importers use both: QIMA for suppliers in other countries, a local specialist for Indian factories, with the same AQL and checklist.
Clear To Load vs QIMA at a glance
Disclosure: Clear To Load publishes this page and is one of the two companies compared. Every statement about QIMA comes from QIMA's own website, checked on 13 Oct 2026 (its India page rechecked on 14 Oct 2026), and India's NABCB register, checked on 14 Oct 2026, all listed under Sources. If anything here is out of date, email hello@cleartoload.com and we will correct it.
| Criterion | QIMA | Clear To Load |
|---|---|---|
| Base and founding | Founded in Hong Kong in 2005 as AsiaInspection | Jodhpur, Rajasthan, founded 2017 |
| Countries | Over 100 countries; 90 offices and labs; more than 6,000 staff | India only |
| India presence | India service page; Indian entity (QIMA Quality Inspection India Pvt Ltd); testing lab in Tiruppur; says it has done over 10,000 inspections in India. The India page names no production cities. | Head office in Jodhpur. Covers every Indian city through three travel bands, with staff inspectors and vetted freelance inspectors |
| Inspection types | Initial production check, during production check, pre-shipment inspection, container loading check, production monitoring | Pre-production, during production and pre-shipment inspection, container loading supervision |
| Audits and testing | Manufacturing, ethical, structural, environmental and C-TPAT audits; own testing labs, including India | Factory audits; lab testing coordinated with outside labs (no in-house lab) |
| Booking | Self-serve through myQIMA; inspector on site within 48 hours; orders can be changed or cancelled until 1:00 pm CST (China Standard Time, 5:00 am GMT) the day before | Booking request online, confirmed within 24 hours |
| Report | Same day as the inspection | Within 24 hours, ending in Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared |
| Published price | From US$419 per man-day, travel and accommodation included; India is in its Zone A, but no India-specific price is shown | US$249 per man-day; no travel fee in Jodhpur, travel fee everywhere else (fixed in Band B, actual cost in Band C) |
| Inspection accreditation | ISO/IEC 17020:2012 Type A (CNAS) for QIMA Inspection (Shenzhen) Ltd; ISO/IEC 17025 (NABL) for its Indian lab entity | Not yet accredited; ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation in progress |
Scored on our published rubric
We use the same six-point rubric, and the same scores, as our list of quality inspection companies in India. Each criterion scores 0 to 3, from what the company publishes on its own website and, for accreditation, India's NABCB register (checked 14 Oct 2026).
| Criterion | QIMA | Clear To Load |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation | 2: ISO/IEC 17020 (CNAS) for its Shenzhen entity, another country's entity; not on India's NABCB register of inspection bodies | 0: accreditation in progress, none held |
| India presence | 2: Indian company and Tiruppur lab; Indian production cities served not named | 3: office in Jodhpur and every Indian city assigned to a travel band |
| Price transparency | 2: "from" US$419 per man-day with travel included; no India-specific price | 2: US$249 day rate published; travel charged outside Jodhpur |
| Booking | 3: self-serve booking through myQIMA | 2: online request, confirmed within 24 hours |
| Report speed | 3: same-day report | 2: within 24 hours |
| Reach | 3: over 100 countries | 1: India only |
| Total | 15 / 18 | 10 / 18 |
Since 14 Oct 2026 the accreditation criterion counts India's NABCB register alongside each company's own site. QIMA's ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation is held by its Chinese entity and QIMA is not listed on the NABCB register, so it scores 2 (only an Indian scope covering general consumer goods scores 3). The rubric scores what a buyer can check before booking. It does not measure inspector skill or report quality; test those with a sample report and a first order.
Where QIMA is the better choice
QIMA is the stronger option on several points, and for some buyers they decide the matter.
- You source from several countries. QIMA works in over 100 countries, so one provider, one portal and one report format can cover China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India together. Clear To Load works in India only.
- You want self-serve booking. You book and pay through myQIMA, and QIMA states an inspector is on site within 48 hours. Its India page says orders can be changed or cancelled until 1:00 pm CST the day before.
- You need the report the same day. QIMA promises same-day reports. Clear To Load reports within 24 hours.
- Your contract asks for an accredited inspection body. QIMA lists ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation from CNAS for its Shenzhen inspection entity. If you need this for India, ask which QIMA entity will perform the inspection and check that the scope covers it.
- You want inspection and lab testing from one company. QIMA runs its own accredited labs, including an ISO/IEC 17025 lab entity in India accredited by NABL, and a testing lab in Tiruppur for textiles and toys. Clear To Load coordinates testing with outside labs.
- You need a wider audit menu. QIMA's India page lists ethical, structural, environmental and C-TPAT audits as well as manufacturing audits.
Where Clear To Load fits better
Clear To Load does one thing: inspections at factories in India for overseas importers. That focus suits some orders better.
- Your products are made only in India. Clear To Load has worked from Jodhpur since 2017, in one of India's leading wooden furniture and handicraft export hubs. See inspections in Jodhpur.
- Your factory is outside the big metros. Every Indian city falls into one of three travel bands. Jodhpur has no travel fee, Band B has a fixed travel fee, and Band C travel is quoted at actual cost before you book. QIMA's India page refers to "major Indian production hubs" without naming them.
- You want a clear decision, not just a defect list. Every report ends in Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. Anonymised furniture reports from Jodhpur and Jaipur are published at sample reports, so you can see the format before booking.
- You want inspectors paid only by you. Clear To Load takes no fee or commission from factories, and the fee does not change with the result. See about us.
- You want to talk to the people doing the work. Bookings and questions go to one team by email or WhatsApp.
Clear To Load is weaker where QIMA is strong. It has no in-house lab, works in one country, reports in 24 hours rather than the same day, and it is not yet accredited (ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation is in progress).
Price: what each company publishes
QIMA's pricing page states that product inspections start at US$419 per man-day. It says the price includes the inspector's transport, meals and accommodation, and overtime, weekend and holiday work. India is listed in QIMA's Zone A, but the page does not show a separate India price, so ask for a quote for your factory's city.
Clear To Load also prices by the man-day: one inspector, one factory, one day, report included. Travel depends on the band of the factory's city and is stated before you book. See pricing for the current rate.
When you compare quotes, compare the total for your order: man-days needed, travel, report and the cost of a reinspection if goods fail.
Switching or using both
You do not have to choose one company for everything. A common split is a global provider for suppliers in other countries and a local specialist for Indian factories. To make that work:
- Use the same AQL levels and sample sizes for both. Our AQL calculator shows the ISO 2859-1 sample size for your lot.
- Give both the same product checklist, measurements and packing requirements.
- Agree what counts as critical, major and minor for your product before the first inspection.
- Compare the first reports side by side: photos, measurements and how clearly each says whether the goods can ship.
If you are switching for Indian factories only, start with one order, such as a pre-shipment inspection, before moving a full programme.
How this comparison was made
We checked QIMA's own pages on 13 Oct 2026: company facts, product inspections, quality control in India, accreditations and pricing. We rechecked its India page, including the order change and cancellation cut-off, on 14 Oct 2026. We also checked India's NABCB register of accredited inspection bodies on 14 Oct 2026. We used no third-party reviews or rumours. Clear To Load facts come from our own company record, and anything not yet confirmed is marked on the page. We score both companies on the same criteria used in our list of inspection companies in India, and we re-check every cell each quarter.