Key takeaways
- V-Trust is the only one of the two with a published India price: US$268 per man-day, all inclusive, in 17 named Indian cities, and US$298 anywhere else in India.
- QIMA's starting price is US$419 per man-day with travel included, and it works in over 100 countries against V-Trust's 10 Asian countries.
- QIMA states same-day reports; V-Trust states 24 hours, with same-day available.
- Both hold ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation from CNAS for China, not for India. QIMA also runs an NABL-accredited lab entity in India.
V-Trust vs QIMA at a glance
Disclosure: Clear To Load is an inspection company and competes with the companies on this page. Every statement about V-Trust and QIMA 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 If anything here is out of date, email hello@cleartoload.com and we will correct it.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 | V-Trust | QIMA |
|---|---|---|
| Company | 650+ employees in 10 Asian countries: China, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar | Founded in Hong Kong in 2005 (as AsiaInspection). Over 100 countries, 90 offices and labs, more than 6,000 employees |
| Indian cities named | 17: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Kochi, Kolkata, Moradabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Panipat, Surat, Tirupati, Tiruppur, Vapi | Tiruppur (lab); otherwise "major Indian production hubs" |
| Inspectors | States it uses only full-time local inspectors and auditors in India, with management based locally | Says it has done over 10,000 inspections in India; inspector on site within 48 hours |
| India price | US$268 per man-day in the listed regions, US$298 elsewhere; travel and weekends included | From US$419 per man-day, travel, meals, accommodation and overtime included; India in Zone A, no India price shown |
| Booking | Online "Book Now" forms and a client login for bookings, reports and vendors | Self-serve through myQIMA (web or app); orders can be changed or cancelled until 1:00 pm CST (China Standard Time, 5:00 am GMT) the day before (India page) |
| Report | Within 24 hours; same-day available | Same day |
| Services in India | Pre-shipment, during production, container loading, production monitoring, full inspection, factory audit, social compliance audit, SMETA audit, lab testing | Initial production check, during production, pre-shipment, container loading, production monitoring; ethical, environmental, manufacturing, structural and C-TPAT audits; lab testing |
| Accreditation | ISO/IEC 17020 from CNAS since 2010, for services in China; Sedex affiliate audit company for SMETA in China, India and Vietnam | ISO/IEC 17020:2012 from CNAS for QIMA Inspection (Shenzhen) Ltd; ISO/IEC 17025 from NABL for its Indian lab entity |
Scores on the published rubric
Same rubric as our list of quality inspection companies in India: six criteria, 0 to 3 each, maximum 18. Scores match that list and were re-checked on 14 Oct 2026.
| Criterion | V-Trust | QIMA | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accreditation | 2 | 2 | Both hold CNAS ISO/IEC 17020 for China, not India |
| India presence | 3 | 2 | V-Trust names 17 Indian cities and local management; QIMA names no inspection cities |
| Price transparency | 3 | 2 | V-Trust publishes an all-inclusive India price; QIMA a global "from" price |
| Booking | 3 | 3 | Both online, with a client account |
| Report speed | 3 | 3 | Both state same-day reports (V-Trust as an option) |
| Reach | 2 | 3 | V-Trust 10 countries; QIMA over 100 |
| Total | 16 | 15 |
Updated 14 Oct 2026: we revised the scored list after re-checking the companies' own sites. V-Trust and QIMA kept their scores and remain first and second. The same day we began counting India's NABCB register for accreditation, which raised Bureau Veritas to 14; Intertek scores 13. On 15 Oct 2026, after re-checking SGS India's NABCB scope, SGS rose from 13 to 14, level with Bureau Veritas. None of the three publishes an inspection price, which is the main difference from these two. Neither V-Trust nor QIMA is listed on the NABCB register (checked 14 Oct 2026), so their scores did not change.
What the published prices mean for an Indian order
Take a furniture order that needs three man-days of pre-shipment inspection. On published prices only:
| Factory location | V-Trust (3 man-days) | QIMA (3 man-days) |
|---|---|---|
| Moradabad or Panipat (on V-Trust's list) | US$804, all inclusive | From US$1,257, travel included |
| Jodhpur or Jaipur (not on V-Trust's list) | US$894, all inclusive | From US$1,257, travel included |
QIMA's figure is a starting price, so the real quote may be higher. Neither figure includes lab tests. Compare written quotes for your exact factory, and ask what a reinspection costs if the goods fail. Our guide to the man-day explains how inspection days are counted.
Where each is the stronger choice
V-Trust
- Price certainty in India. A fixed all-inclusive rate, including travel and weekends, is the clearest published India price of the two.
- Named Indian clusters. Its list covers textile and home textile hubs such as Tiruppur, Panipat and Surat, and metal handicrafts in Moradabad.
- Full-time inspectors. V-Trust says it uses no part-time or freelance inspectors in India. If that matters to you, it is stated in writing.
- SMETA audits in India. V-Trust is a Sedex affiliate audit company for SMETA in India.
QIMA
- Global sourcing. Over 100 countries, against V-Trust's 10 Asian countries. If you also buy from Europe, Africa or Latin America, QIMA covers them.
- Same-day reports as standard. QIMA promises them; V-Trust offers them as an option.
- Lab testing in India. QIMA's Indian entity holds NABL ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, and it runs a lab in Tiruppur for textiles and toys.
- Flexible scheduling. Orders can be changed or cancelled until 1:00 pm CST the day before.
Choose V-Trust if, choose QIMA if
Choose V-Trust if you source from India and other Asian countries, want a fixed India price including travel, and your factories are in or near its 17 listed cities.
Choose QIMA if you source from many regions, need same-day reports on every inspection, or want inspection and lab testing from one company with a lab in India.
For factories in smaller craft clusters outside both companies' named lists, such as Saharanpur, Jodhpur or Bhadohi, ask each where the nearest inspector is based and how far they travel. Our buyer's checklist lists the other questions to ask.
How this comparison was made
We read V-Trust's and QIMA's own pages on 14 Oct 2026: home and India pages, qualifications and accreditations, product inspections and pricing. No third-party reviews were used. Each fact is linked under Sources, and every cell is re-checked each quarter; the scored list was last revised on 14 Oct 2026.
Clear To Load, which publishes this page, is one India-only option: based in Jodhpur, not yet accredited (ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation is in progress), with no in-house lab. It scores 10 of 18 on the same rubric. See Clear To Load vs V-Trust and Clear To Load vs QIMA.
Sources
- V-Trust: Quality control inspection services in India (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- V-Trust: Our qualifications (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- V-Trust: Home (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: About (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Product inspections (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Quality control in India (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Accreditations (checked 14 Oct 2026)
- QIMA: Quality control pricing (checked 14 Oct 2026)