What is made in Mumbai
Mumbai is a trading and shipping city as much as a manufacturing one. Many exporters keep an office here and buy from workshops in the suburbs, in Thane district or further away, then consolidate at a warehouse before the goods go to the port. Find out early where your goods are actually made and packed.
| Product | Source | Key inspection points |
|---|---|---|
| Gem and jewellery | SEEPZ, set up on 1 May 1973 for electronics, has allowed gem and jewellery manufacture for export since 1987–88; the zone had 299 operating units in FY 2020-21 (SEEPZ SEZ) | Stamps, weight, setting, finish, packing and seals |
| Hand tools | The NITI Aayog report on hand and power tools names Mumbai and Nagpur as hand tool clusters (PIB factsheet, 22 April 2025) | Openings, hardness, plating, marking |
| Ready-made garments and knitwear | DC-MSME district skill mapping for Mumbai City (undated draft) | Measurements, seams, shade, trims, labels |
| Leather articles, bags and gift items | DC-MSME skill mapping for Mumbai Suburban: leather article cluster, Dharavi (undated draft) | Stitching, edges, hardware, mould |
| Corrugated boxes and packaging | Same document: printing and packaging cluster, Andheri | Ply, board weight, print, moisture |
Mumbai is not a DGFT Town of Export Excellence. Nearby Bhiwandi, in Thane district, is listed for textiles.
What we check for Mumbai products
| Product | Checks on the day |
|---|---|
| Garments | Measurements against the size chart, seams, shade between panels, trims, labels and carton audit; see T-shirts and knit tops and woven shirts |
| Jewellery | Match to the approved sample, stamps, weight per piece, stone setting, clasps; samples sealed for assay or nickel tests. See sterling silver and base metal fashion jewellery |
| Hand tools | Jaw and socket openings gauged, function on a test piece, witnessed hardness and torque tests, plating and origin marking |
| Small leather goods and handbags | Stitching, edge paint, hardware, shade between panels, odour and mould in packed cartons |
| Corrugated cartons | Ply and flute, board grammage, moisture, joint, dimensions and print |
Gold fineness, nickel release and lead content are lab results. We pull and seal samples and send them through lab testing coordination.
Common defects in Mumbai production
| Defect | Where it shows up | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Broken needle or sharp metal left in a garment | Garments, especially children's wear | Critical |
| Stamp or fineness mark that does not match the order | Silver and gold jewellery | Critical |
| Loose stones, weak clasps or posts | Jewellery | Major |
| Jaw opening out of tolerance or soft striking faces | Spanners, pliers and other hand tools | Major |
| Mould or strong odour in packed cartons | Leather goods packed in the monsoon | Major |
| Measurements out of tolerance, shade variation between panels | Garments | Major |
| Mixed styles or wrong counts after consolidation | Warehouse-packed orders from several units | Major |
| Loose threads, edge paint runs, crushed carton corners | Garments, leather goods, all cartons | Minor |
Timing and logistics
We have no inspector based in Maharashtra, so an inspector travels in and the travel cost is quoted before you book. JNPA, commissioned on 26 May 1989, is the container port for Mumbai and much of western India.
- Loading: when goods from several workshops are stuffed at a warehouse or container freight station, container loading supervision records the count, carton condition, container condition, lashing and seal number.
- Monsoon: from about June to September, heavy rain slows road transport and raises humidity in warehouses. We check moisture, storage and carton condition on the day.
- Festivals: many units slow down around Ganesh Chaturthi, in August or September, and around Diwali.
- Combining visits: factories in Bhiwandi and Thane can often share a trip with a Mumbai inspection. Pune is a separate day.
How to book an inspection in Mumbai
Send the product, the address where goods are made or packed and the ready date through the booking form for Mumbai. Include your specification, label artwork and photos of the approved sample.
An inspection costs US$249 per man-day plus actual travel cost (Band C); see pricing. Within 24 hours we confirm the inspector, the notice we need, the number of man-days and the price. The report arrives within 24 hours of the inspection, with a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
Sources
- Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority: home page (read Oct 2026)
- SEEPZ Special Economic Zone: Introduction
- PIB factsheet: Unlocking $25+ billion exports in India's hand and power tools sector (22 Apr 2025)
- DC-MSME skill mapping, Mumbai City (undated draft)
- DC-MSME skill mapping, Mumbai Suburban (undated draft)
- DGFT, Appendix 1B: List of Towns of Export Excellence
Are you a quality inspector in Mumbai?
We work with vetted freelance inspectors near the factories we check. You take assignments in your own area, inspect to our checklist, and Clear To Load pays you, never the factory. Apply to inspect with us.