Your First Supplier Visit to India: What European Managers Should Look For

Series: Making Due Diligence Work in India (EU–India Supply Chains)Part 3 of 3 — A practical guide for European managers visiting suppliers

As European due diligence expectations increase, more managers are visiting suppliers in India. Many come well-prepared with audit questions and documentation checklists.

That preparation matters.

But in India, the most valuable insights often come from what you observe beyond the checklist.

After accompanying European teams across supplier visits in India, here are a few things that consistently help managers see the real picture—quickly, respectfully, and practically.

1) Observe how people interact

Workplace culture shows up in small interactions:

• how supervisors speak with workers,
• whether workers seem comfortable asking questions,
• whether safety instructions are “told” or “discussed.”

This tells you a lot about trust, fear, and whether systems are likely to work in practice.

2) Test “existence” versus “usability”

Many sites have systems on paper—grievance mechanisms, safety committees, trainings.

The key question is simple:

Does it work for people in daily life?

Ask:

• “If someone has a problem, what do they do?”
• “Who do they trust to talk to?”
• “What happens after a complaint is raised?”

This is where you find the real gaps.

3) Look for audit signals—without shaming anyone

Some of the most common patterns are “audit-ready” measures:

• grievance box installed for inspections, then not used,
• safety shoes purchased but impractical and not worn,
• toilets present but not functional day-to-day (for example, no water on farms).

When you see these, don’t jump to blame. Treat them as signals: the system was built for verification, not for function.

That is an implementation opportunity.

4) Ask about contractors and labour intermediaries

In many Indian supply chains, risk sits in:

• contract labour,
• migrant labour,
• subcontractors,
• or labour contractors.

Ask:

• How are contractors selected and monitored?
• Are contractors included in training and safety systems?
• Do contract workers have the same channels for raising concerns?

You cannot understand risk fully without seeing this layer.

5) Ask the supplier what change would actually require

Many improvements require investment—time, people, training, equipment.

A practical question:

• “If we wanted to improve X in the next 6 months, what would it take?”
• “What support would make this realistic?”

This shifts the conversation from compliance to partnership.

6) Build trust before you push process

In India, relationships matter. When trust is built, suppliers open up. When conversations feel transactional, suppliers protect themselves.

A good visit balances:

• clarity on expectations,
• respect for constraints,
• and curiosity about the supplier’s reality.

This is how you create honest conversations—and real progress.

Closing thought

A supplier visit can be a verification exercise.

Or it can be the start of a long-term, trust-based relationship that actually reduces risk.

In India, the best visits happen when European expectations meet local reality—with the right bridge between the two.

Series: Making Due Diligence Work in India (EU–India Supply Chains)

• Part 1: From Trade to Trust: How the EU–India Deal Can Make Sustainability Real on the Ground
• Part 2: Making Due Diligence Work in India: What European Companies Can Do Differently
• Part 3: Your First Supplier Visit to India: What European Managers Should Look For (coming next)

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