Key takeaways
- QIMA scores 15 of 18 and HQTS 10. QIMA's lead comes from self-serve booking, a stated same-day report and a published starting price.
- HQTS has the stronger stated India footprint: a regional office in New Delhi since 2008 and seven named cities. QIMA names one Indian city, Tiruppur, where it runs a lab.
- QIMA states ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation for its Shenzhen entity and NABL lab accreditation for its Indian company. HQTS names CNAS and CMA but not ISO/IEC 17020.
- Neither publishes an India-specific man-day price. QIMA's US$419 'from' rate covers India as part of its Zone A.
- The scores measure what each website publishes, not inspector skill. Ask both for a sample report in your product category.
QIMA vs HQTS at a glance
Disclosure: Clear To Load is an inspection company and competes with both companies on this page. Every statement about QIMA and HQTS comes from their own websites, checked on 14 Oct 2026 and listed under Sources. If anything here is out of date, email hello@cleartoload.com and we will correct it.
| Criterion | QIMA | HQTS |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Founded in Hong Kong in 2005. Works in over 100 countries, with 90 offices and labs and more than 6,000 employees | Founded in 1995. Inspection, audit, testing and certification in 40+ countries; its site links regional office pages for 16 countries |
| India | Says it has done over 10,000 inspections in India. Names a testing lab in Tiruppur and ISO 17025 labs in India for textiles and toys | In the Indian market since 2008. Regional office in Pitampura, New Delhi. Names New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur and Kolkata |
| Inspection types | Initial production check, during production, pre-shipment, container loading check, production monitoring | Pre-production, during production, pre-shipment, piece-by-piece and container loading inspection |
| Other services in India | Ethical, environmental, manufacturing, structural and C-TPAT audits; physical and chemical lab testing | Supplier and factory audits, social compliance audits, product testing (RoHS, REACH, CPSIA, DMF, Prop 65), SASO and SABER certificates for Saudi Arabia, Uganda PVoC |
| Booking | Online through myQIMA, on the web or the app. 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 (QIMA India page) | Contact form, phone or email. Inspector on site within three working days of the order (during production inspection page) |
| Report | Same day as the inspection | A report with photos within 24 hours. The FAQ adds that an initial report may come the same day and the verified report after the next business day, once a supervisor has reviewed it |
| Price | From US$419 per man-day, including the inspector's travel, meals and accommodation and overtime, weekend and holiday work. India is in its Zone A | Not published |
| Accreditation | ISO/IEC 17020 (CNAS, Type A) for QIMA Inspection (Shenzhen) Ltd. NABL lab accreditation for QIMA Quality Inspection India Pvt Ltd | Names CNAS and CMA. ISO/IEC 17020 is not stated on the pages checked |
Scores on the published rubric
We score every inspection company on the same six-point rubric used in our list of quality inspection companies in India. Each criterion scores 0 to 3, for a maximum of 18. Every score comes from the company's own website and, for accreditation, India's NABCB register (checked 14 Oct 2026; neither company is listed). The scores below match that list.
| Criterion | QIMA | HQTS | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accreditation | 2 | 1 | QIMA states ISO/IEC 17020 for its Shenzhen entity, outside India. HQTS names CNAS and CMA, which are not inspection-body accreditations |
| India presence | 2 | 3 | HQTS names an India office and seven Indian cities. QIMA has an Indian company and lab but names only Tiruppur |
| Price transparency | 2 | 0 | QIMA publishes a "from" price that applies to India; HQTS publishes none |
| Booking | 3 | 1 | QIMA offers self-serve online booking; HQTS takes requests by form, phone or email |
| Report speed | 3 | 2 | QIMA states same-day reports; HQTS states 24 hours |
| Reach | 3 | 3 | Both work in more than 40 countries |
| Total | 15 | 10 |
The rubric scores what a buyer can verify before booking. It does not score inspector skill, product knowledge or report quality.
How each company describes its India operation
The two companies publish very different things about India. HQTS writes about place: a regional office at Netaji Subhash Place in Pitampura, New Delhi, a start in the Indian market in 2008, and seven named cities, with coverage of "other regions" as well. Jaipur is on its list, which matters for buyers of furniture, block-printed textiles and handicrafts from Rajasthan. See inspections in Jaipur.
QIMA writes about volume and testing. It says it has done over 10,000 inspections in India and names a testing lab in Tiruppur, India's knitwear hub, with ISO 17025 labs in India for textiles and toys. Its Indian company, QIMA Quality Inspection India Pvt Ltd, holds NABL accreditation (TC-16244). It does not name the other Indian cities its inspectors work from. See inspections in Tiruppur.
For a factory outside the metros, such as Moradabad brassware or Panipat home textiles, ask either company where the nearest inspector is based and whether travel is charged on top.
Booking, rescheduling and reports
QIMA is built for self-service. You book and pay in myQIMA, an inspector is on site within 48 hours, and you can change or cancel an order until 1:00 pm CST the day before. Indian ready dates often slip, so that cut-off is useful. The report comes the same day.
HQTS works through people. You send a request, and HQTS says its inspector can be on site within three working days of the order. A report with photos follows within 24 hours. Its FAQ explains that the verified report is released after the next business day, once a supervisor has reviewed it, and that an initial report may come the same day. If a supplier does not warn of a production delay in time, HQTS cancels the inspection unless told otherwise, charges a partial fee, and says you may recover that cost from the supplier.
If your shipment is booked for the morning after the inspection, QIMA's stated timings fit better. If you prefer a coordinator who agrees dates with your supplier, HQTS's model fits better.
Choose QIMA if, choose HQTS if
Choose QIMA if you book inspections yourself and want a published price to budget against, a same-day report and online rescheduling. It also fits textile and toy buyers who want lab testing near Tiruppur, and buyers who need ethical, structural or C-TPAT audits from the same provider.
Choose HQTS if you want an established India office you can phone, your factories are in or near the seven cities it names, or you also ship to Saudi Arabia or Uganda and need SASO, SABER or PVoC certificates. Its stated product testing (RoHS, REACH, CPSIA, Prop 65) suits electrical and consumer goods.
Ask either company:
- Which legal entity will inspect in India, and does an accreditation cover that entity and your product?
- What is the total price for your city, including travel and any reinspection?
- Can you see a sample report for your product category?
Our guide to choosing an inspection company lists more questions, and inspection prices in India compares published man-day rates.
How this comparison was made
We read QIMA's and HQTS's own pages on 14 Oct 2026: company facts, India pages, inspection services, accreditations, pricing and FAQs. We used no third-party reviews. Each fact is linked under Sources. We re-check these pages regularly; the date of the last check is shown above.
Clear To Load, which publishes this page, is a third option for factories in India only: an inspection company based in Jodhpur, not yet accredited (ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation is in progress), without its own lab, and working in India only. It scores 10 of 18 on the same rubric. See Clear To Load vs QIMA and Clear To Load vs HQTS.
Sources
- QIMA: About (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Quality control in India, including the order change and cancellation cut-off (checked 14 and 15 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Accreditations (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Quality control pricing (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- HQTS: Home (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- HQTS: Quality control company India (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- HQTS: During production inspection (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- HQTS: Q&A (checked 14 Oct 2026)