How to Verify a B2B Supplier in India Before You Pay

Open B2B marketplaces let a very large number of businesses list themselves. IndiaMART alone reported 8.8 million supplier storefronts in June 2026 (release (opens in a new tab)), and Justdial reported 56.1 million active listings across its platform (Business Today (opens in a new tab)). Most are genuine businesses, but scale makes it impossible for any platform to vouch for every one. Verification is the buyer's job, and it is cheap compared with the cost of a failed order.

1. GSTIN check

   Search the GSTIN on the official GST taxpayer search (opens in a new tab). Confirm the legal and trade names, status (active), and principal place of business match what the supplier told you.

2. Company or LLP check

   For incorporated suppliers, look up the company on the MCA portal (opens in a new tab) and check name, status and registered address.

3. Udyam (optional)

   MSME suppliers may hold Udyam registration (Udyam portal (opens in a new tab)); it confirms MSME status, not quality.

4. Contact check

   Make sure the phone number and email are linked to the business, for example on its website, GST records or long-standing listings.

5. Address and facility

   Video-call the factory or warehouse, or visit. Ask to see the product being made or stored.

6. References

   Ask for two business customers you can call. Hesitation is informative.

7. Sample and trial order

   Pay for a sample, test it, then place a small trial order before full volume.

The GST taxpayer search shows several fields worth reading carefully, not just whether a number exists:

Marketplaces offer verification badges, such as JD Mart's JD Verified and Trusted stamp (App Store (opens in a new tab)) and IndiaMART's paid TrustSEAL service (IndiaMART help (opens in a new tab)). These show the platform has checked something about the seller. Because full criteria aren't always published, treat badges as a reason to shortlist, not to skip your own checks.

Ask the person you're dealing with to confirm their role, and check that emails come from a domain or number linked to the business. Impersonation of legitimate suppliers is a known pattern on open marketplaces.

These patterns don't prove fraud, but each one justifies pausing until it's explained.

Common scam patterns

• The bait price. A quote 30-40% below others, requiring full advance, often for in-demand goods.
• The borrowed identity. A real company's GSTIN and photos, but a different phone number and bank account.
• The changed bank details. An email "from the supplier" mid-order announcing new bank details. Always confirm by phone using a number you already trust.
• The sample switch. An excellent sample followed by inferior bulk goods. Retain the sample and agree acceptance criteria.

What you check should match who you're dealing with. A manufacturer, a trader and an importer present different risks.

Keep a short record for each supplier you approve. It saves time on repeat orders and gives you evidence if something goes wrong later.

Sellers face fraud too: buyers who request credit and never pay, competitors collecting price lists, or fake purchase orders used to obtain goods. Apply the same logic in reverse. Check the buyer's GSTIN on the GST portal (opens in a new tab) before extending credit, ask for a company email and address, start new buyers on advance or escrow terms, and confirm large purchase orders by calling a number you found independently. JD Mart's escrow option protects sellers as well as buyers; sellers pay a 1% handling fee per transaction per its FAQ (opens in a new tab).

The online checks (GST, MCA, Udyam) take minutes. A video call can be arranged within a day. Samples take days to weeks depending on the product. For a first order of meaningful value, a few days of checks is normal and reasonable; a supplier who refuses to wait is giving you useful information.

Ratings on Justdial, JD Mart and other platforms add useful evidence when used carefully. Look for a reasonable number of reviews spread over months, with specific details such as order size, delivery time and how problems were handled. A sudden burst of short five-star reviews is less informative than a steady history. Justdial's platform holds 160.5 million ratings and reviews (JM Financial (opens in a new tab)), so most established local suppliers will have a track record you can read. Combine reviews with the official GST and MCA checks, never instead of them. Our sister site JD Review discusses what to check before paying any Justdial-listed business or service.

For high-value or custom orders, inspect before the balance payment. You can visit yourself, send a trusted local contact, or use a third-party inspection agency. Agree the inspection method in advance: sample size, what is measured, and what counts as a pass. Photographs and videos of the packed goods with visible markings and a dated note are a minimum where a physical inspection isn't practical.

Keep the original listing (screenshots), all chats and emails, the quotation, purchase order, payment receipts and delivery documents. If a dispute arises, these records support a complaint to the platform, your bank or, in cases of fraud, the cyber-crime authorities. Raise problems quickly; delays make recovery harder.