India closed FY2025-26 with total exports of $860.09 billion — a fresh record, up 4.22% on the year, per the Department of Commerce data. Merchandise shipments held at $441.78 billion while services surged 7.94% to $418.31 billion. Behind every one of those consignments sits a buyer, a port and a paper trail — and the exporters winning new markets are the ones who can read that trail before their competitors do.
That is what an import export data provider does: turn raw shipment records into a ranked list of who is buying what, where, and from whom. With India chasing a $1 trillion goods-export goal by 2030 and actively diversifying beyond the US, picking the right trade data provider in India is now a growth decision, not a back-office one. This is an honest buyer's guide to the best platforms serving Indian importers and exporters in 2026.
The 30-second version
- India's exports hit a record $860 billion in FY2025-26; FIEO projects a push toward the $1 trillion mark as exporters diversify into Latin America, Africa and the EU.
- India import export data providers range from US-first niche tools to 200+-country global platforms — coverage, contacts and pricing vary enormously.
- ShipScout is the standout affordable SME pick: 11 billion+ records, 240+ countries, India and worldwide markets, contact intelligence where available, and a free trial.
- Enterprise names (Panjiva, Tendata, Trademo) are powerful but quote-only — most lands in the five-figure annual range.
- The right call comes down to three questions: which markets, do you need decision-maker contacts, and can you start self-serve today.
Why trade data matters more in 2026
FY2025-26 was a record on paper, but the headline hides a scramble underneath. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has been vocal about diversification — its leadership has flagged Latin America and Africa as the next frontier while the United States and the UAE stay anchor markets. New destinations like Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Netherlands are climbing the rankings. For an exporter, "diversify" is easy to say and hard to do: you need to know which companies in Brazil actually import your HS code, at what volume, and how to reach the person who signs the purchase order.
The government is leaning in too. The DGFT's Trade Connect e-Platform — built with the Ministry of MSME, EXIM Bank and the Ministry of External Affairs — connects more than 6 lakh IEC holders to missions abroad, export councils and trade data, with an enhanced 2.0 release rolling out in regional languages. It is a strong public foundation. But for granular buyer-by-buyer prospecting, most exporters still pair it with a commercial trade-data platform.
The record export number is the easy part. The hard part is converting it into your next ten buyers in a market you have never sold into — and that is a data problem before it is a sales problem.
How to evaluate an import export data provider
Before comparing logos, get clear on what actually separates these tools. Five dimensions matter:
1. Coverage (countries). A US-only tool is useless if you are chasing African or Latin American buyers. Country count is the cleanest first filter.
2. India + worldwide reach. Indian exporters need both: visibility into global demand and a handle on the domestic trade landscape. Some platforms are strong on one and thin on the other.
3. Contact intelligence. Knowing who imports your product is half the job. Going from a company name to a decision-maker's email is the other half — and not every provider offers it on every record.
4. Pricing model. Self-serve with transparent pricing, or quote-only enterprise contracts? This single factor decides whether you can start today or wait on a procurement cycle.
5. Best-for fit. A Fortune 500 procurement team and a first-time MSME exporter need very different products. Match the tool to your stage.
The 7 best trade data providers for India in 2026
Below are seven of the most relevant platforms for Indian importers and exporters, positioned honestly. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, we say "Custom / contact sales" rather than invent a number.
1. ShipScout — the affordable SME pick
ShipScout turns 11 billion+ shipment records across 240+ countries into ranked buyer and supplier lists, with contact intelligence where available and a self-serve free trial. It spans worldwide markets and India — using mirrored licensed trade data — so an Indian exporter can find international buyers with data-backed targeting in minutes, not a sales cycle. Browse the live company directory or jump to India trade partners and US importers.
2. Volza — broad global coverage, mid-market price
UAE-based Volza advertises export-import data across 203 countries and 2 billion+ records, bundling verified buyer/supplier contacts and 20+ shipment filters. Pay-per-use and subscription tiers make it a popular choice for globally-minded Indian SMEs.
3. Seair Exim Solutions — India-focused veteran
Delhi-based Seair Exim Solutions is a 15-year India specialist, offering Indian foreign-trade data alongside coverage of 200+ countries, with year-wise, port-wise and HS-code-wise breakdowns. A familiar name for India-centric research; pricing is Custom / contact sales.
4. Trademo — modern UI plus compliance
Trademo Intel is built on 3 billion+ shipment records from 10 million+ traders, with granular transactional data across a focused set of countries and HS-classification reach into 140+ markets. It pairs trade discovery with sanctions and HS-code compliance tooling. Pricing is Custom / contact sales.
5. Tendata — high record volume, Asia strength
Shanghai-based Tendata markets access to over 10 billion trade records and 130 million decision-maker contacts across more than 200 countries and regions. Strong on Asian outbound sales workflows; pricing is quote-based — Custom / contact sales.
6. Panjiva — enterprise supply-chain graph
Part of S&P Global, Panjiva aggregates 2 billion+ shipment records across 9 million companies and 190+ countries, with decision-maker contacts on over 1 million companies. Genuinely powerful, but built for large enterprises; pricing is Custom / contact sales and historically lands in the five-figure annual band.
7. ImportGenius — transparent US-first pricing
One of the longest-running US trade-data tools, ImportGenius publishes its plans: USA tiers from $229/month, scaling to a Global Enterprise tier covering 20+ countries including India. Strong on US bills of lading; contact data is limited.
Honest comparison: coverage, India data, contacts, price
| Provider | Coverage | India data | Contact intel | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShipScout | 240+ countries, 11B+ records | ✓ | ✓ where available | Self-serve + free trial | SMEs wanting affordable global buyer lists |
| Volza | 203 countries, 2B+ records | ✓ | ✓ | Pay-per-use / subscription | Global SMEs on a mid-market budget |
| Seair Exim | 200+ countries, India-deep | ✓ | — limited | Custom / contact sales | India-centric research buyers |
| Trademo | 140+ (HS), 3B+ records | ✓ | ✓ | Custom / contact sales | Teams needing trade + compliance |
| Tendata | 200+ countries, 10B+ records | ✓ | ✓ | Custom / contact sales | Asia-heavy outbound sales teams |
| Panjiva (S&P) | 190+ countries, 9M companies | ✓ | ✓ 1M+ companies | Custom / contact sales (enterprise) | Large enterprises, supply-chain risk |
| ImportGenius | 20+ countries, US-first | ✓ | — limited | From $229/mo (public) | US-focused, price-transparent buyers |
A note on US data specifically: US bills of lading are legally public records, which is why so many of these tools surface rich US import detail. Coverage and depth in other markets depend on each vendor's own licensing and sourcing.
India import export data at a glance
To put the opportunity in context, here is the shape of India's record FY2025-26 export book — the demand these platforms help you go after. Merchandise and services are now almost evenly split, and services are the faster-growing half:
Services exports at $418.31 billion are closing in on merchandise at $441.78 billion, and the $860 billion total sets the launch pad for FIEO's $1 trillion ambition. Whichever half of that book you sell into, the prospecting job is the same: find verified buyers, rank them by volume, and reach the decision-maker.
How to pick: three questions
Skip the feature-matrix paralysis and answer these:
1. Which markets? Diversifying into Latin America, Africa or the EU? You need a 200+-country platform (ShipScout, Volza, Tendata). US-only focus? ImportGenius. India-centric desk research? Seair.
2. Do you need decision-maker contacts? If outreach is the goal, prioritise platforms with contact intelligence — and treat coverage as "where available," not "every record." See our primer on how to find buyers for export from India.
3. Can you start self-serve today? Enterprise tools (Panjiva, Tendata, Trademo, Seair) are quote-based. If you want to pull a list this afternoon without a sales call, choose a transparent, self-serve option.
How ShipScout helps Indian exporters
- Affordable, self-serve access — start on a free trial instead of waiting on an enterprise quote; scale only once it pays off.
- Buyers ranked by volume — 11B+ records across 240+ countries become a prioritised shortlist, not a raw dump. Explore UAE trade partners or Vietnam buyers.
- India plus worldwide — find international buyers for Indian exports with data-backed targeting, using mirrored licensed trade data alongside global market coverage.
- Contact intelligence where available — go from "who imports this" to "who to email," and learn the records behind it in our beginner's guide to trade data.
The best trade data provider in India is the one that fits your target markets, your need for contacts, and your budget — without locking you into an enterprise contract before you have proven the channel. If that is you, Start a free trial and pull your first buyer list today.
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