Outcome we drive: clear, source-backed insights that tell you what just changed, why it matters, and how to act—for your exact product category.
What we track for your category (and why)
- Input materials & commodities:
– Polymers (IOCL/RIL circulars) for plastics-heavy SKUs. Example: PP ↓ ₹1,500/MT w.e.f. Aug 1, 2025—a pass-through many quotes miss.
– Metals (LME official/cash) for enclosures, fixtures, cookware, etc. Example: LME copper cash ~$9,746/t on Aug 13, 2025.
– Fibres & textiles (Cotlook/USDA) for apparel, home textiles. Example: Cotlook A Index 78.20 on Aug 12, 2025. - Macro demand & pricing context (India):
– Manufacturing PMI trend to gauge order momentum (e.g., May 2025 PMI 57.6, still expansionary).
– Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for manufactured products and input inflation (e.g., headline WPI −0.58% YoY in July 2025). - Logistics & freight reality:
– Ocean rates via Drewry WCI to sanity-check offers (e.g., $2,424/FEU on Aug 7, 2025).
– Schedule reliability (Sea-Intelligence/industry briefs) to set realistic lead times (~67.4% on-time in June 2025).
– FX baselines (FBIL/RBI reference) for USD/INR normalization (e.g., ₹87.6726 per USD on Aug 12, 2025).
What you get each cycle
- Weekly Signal Sheet (1–2 pages): The five moves that matter now—materials, freight, FX, policy—and the tactical ask to take with suppliers this week. All numbers carry source links (WCI, LME, Cotlook, FBIL, WPI/PMI).
- Monthly Category Deck: A deeper dive on your product vertical—input indices, duty/policy changes, retailer/e-com shifts—and what it means for cost, MOQ, and lead times.
- Alert briefs: When a benchmark breaks a band (e.g., WCI ±10% WoW, or polymer circulars), we send a negotiation note with ready-to-use wording.
August 2025 snapshot (illustrative)
- Freight: WCI at $2,424/FEU (Aug 7)—push for index-linked or re-quoted ocean legs if your offers assume higher spot.
- Schedule reliability: ~67.4% (June)—build modest buffers on transshipment lanes; don’t over-pad beyond data.
- Polymers: PP ↓ ₹1,500/MT (Aug 1)—seek immediate pass-through on PP-rich BOMs.
- Metals: Cu cash ~$9,746/t (Aug 13)—evaluate aluminium substitutions where feasible.
- Textiles: Cotlook A 78.20 (Aug 12)—align cotton vs. blend decisions to margin targets.
- India pricing context: WPI −0.58% YoY (July)—use as backdrop when suppliers cite “inflationary pressure.”
- FX: USD/INR 87.6726 (Aug 12 ref)—normalize all dollar quotes to FBIL to remove “buffered FX.”
How this turns into action (our playbook)
- Benchmark → Should-Cost: Map each BOM line to a live index (polymer/metal/fibre), freight to WCI, and FX to FBIL; compute the “fair” unit price.
- Negotiate with evidence: Issue a supplier note: “Please pass through PP ↓₹1,500/MT (IOCL 01-Aug) and reset ocean leg to WCI week 32.”
- Re-plan lead times: Use latest schedule reliability to right-size buffers by lane.
- Update the contract: Add indexation bands and review cadence so your price stays market-true between shipments.
Bottom line: IndiaUnbox turns noisy market data into clear, source-anchored moves for your category—so you buy at the right price, set realistic timelines, and stay ahead of trends your competitors only react to.
