Plan backwards from your ship date with confidence.
IndiaUnbox’s Lead-Time Guide converts your specs, MOQ, and season into a realistic ready-to-ship date. It shows every stage—from samples to production to QC—plus buffers and the effect of quantity (scale curves). Use it to lock PO dates, book QC windows, and coordinate packaging and compliance without last-minute fire drills.
What you get
- Start → Ready-to-Ship date (EXW/FOB) with best-case / base-case / risk-case ranges.
- Stage-wise timeline: T1/T2/T3 samples, tooling if any, raw-material procurement, production days, finishing/packing, DUPRO & PSI inspection slots, paperwork & port hand-off.
- MOQ & scale impact: output/day, line count, change-over time, and how lead time compresses or stretches with volume.
- Seasonality multipliers (fairs, festivals, monsoon humidity, blackout dates) and risk buffers.
- Expedite playbook: proven ways to pull in the date (parallelization, pre-booking, spec tweaks).
- Downloadable Gantt-style PDF/Excel + 1-click handoff to Cost Estimator and FOB→DDP Preview.
Inputs we need (2–4 minutes)
Common: product/category, drawings/photos, materials & finish, target quantity & delivery cadence, packaging & branding method, compliance/testing, target ship week, port (for FOB).
Optional: allow partials? golden sample existing? approved vendors/components?
How we calculate
We add deterministic stages + realistic buffers:
Total Lead Time
= (Tooling/Die-making*) + (Raw-Material Procurement) + (Sampling Cycles T1/T2/T3) + (Pilot/PP Run) + (Bulk Production) + (Finishing & Packaging) + (Compliance/Testing*) + (DUPRO + PSI) + (Docs & Factory Handover) + (Seasonality/Contingency Buffer)
*only if applicable.
Rules of thumb we apply
- 6-day factory weeks unless noted; durations are working days.
- T1/T2/T3 are calendarized only after spec freeze and advance approvals.
- Parallelization where safe (e.g., packaging print while production runs).
- Output/day based on line speed, changeovers, and rework norms for the cluster.
- Inspection windows: DUPRO when 20–60% complete; PSI at ≥80% packed.
Quick reference (base-case ranges, working days)
| Category / Cluster | T1 Sample | Each Addl. Sample | Tooling (if new) | Raw-Matl. Proc. | Bulk Prod. (typical MOQs) | Finishing & Pack | Testing* | Docs/Handover |
| Metalware – Moradabad | 7–10 | 5–7 | 7–12 (dies/jigs) | 4–7 | 15–35 (1k–5k pcs) | 3–6 | 5–7 | 1–2 |
| Wood Furniture – Jodhpur | 10–14 | 7–10 | 10–20 (jigs) | 7–12 | 25–45 (50–300 pcs) | 5–10 | 7–10 | 2–3 |
| Home Textiles – Panipat/Karur | 5–7 | 3–5 | — | 5–10 (yarn/dye) | 10–20 (1k–10k pcs) | 3–6 | 3–7 | 1–2 |
| Rugs/Carpets – Bhadohi | 10–14 | 7–10 | — | 5–8 | 20–60 (size/knots) | 3–6 | 5–7 | 1–2 |
| Ceramics – Khurja | 14–21 | 10–14 | 10–18 (moulds) | 7–10 | 30–45 (kiln cycles) | 4–8 | 7–12 | 2–3 |
| Glass – Firozabad | 10–14 | 7–10 | 12–20 (moulds) | 5–8 | 20–35 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 1–2 |
| Leather Goods – Kanpur | 7–10 | 5–7 | 7–12 (clicking dies) | 5–8 | 20–35 (300–2k pcs) | 3–6 | 5–7 | 1–2 |
| Paper & Packaging – Multiple | 3–5 | 2–3 | 2–4 (dies/plates) | 2–4 | 7–12 (10k–50k) | — | 2–5 | 1–2 |
*Testing (as needed): LFGB/FDA contact, REACH, azo, CPSIA, transit tests, etc.
Seasonality adders (guidance):
Monsoon humidity (Jul–Sep) for plating/wood finishing: +2–5 days.
Diwali/peak export (Sep–Nov): +5–10 days capacity buffer.
Major fairs (IHGF/EPCH, Feb/Mar & Oct): +2–4 days sample/approval lag.
Local holidays/factory shutdowns: +1–3 days.
MOQ & scale effects
- Changeover time (tooling setup, shade/finish matching) is fixed; larger MOQs amortize it → faster effective output/day.
- Parallel lines can be opened above thresholds (e.g., 2 lines beyond 3,000 units).
- Learning curve: first 10–20% slower (pilot & PP), then stabilizes.
Example rule:
Bulk days ≈ (Setup days) + (Quantity ÷ (Output/day × Lines)) × Rework factor (1.05–1.15)
Example timelines (illustrative)
Brass Candleholder – 1,000 pcs (Moradabad)
- Spec freeze (T0) → T1 sample: 8d
- Feedback → T2 sample: 6d
- Raw material booking (parallel after T1 approval): 5d
- Pilot/PP run: 2d
- Bulk production: 18d
- Finishing & packing: 4d
- DUPRO (day 9 of bulk): 1d (non-blocking)
- PSI (≥80% packed): 1–2d
- Docs & handover (FOB): 2d
- Seasonality buffer (Oct peak): +5d
Ready-to-Ship (EXW/FOB): T0 + 51–54 working days (best 44, risk 58).
Pull-in options: pre-book brass stock (+₹ should-cost impact), move from antique to standard brass tone (reduces finishing by ~1–2d), open 2nd polishing line (-3–4d).
Cotton Cushion Covers – 5,000 pcs (Panipat)
- T1 strike-off (print/emb): 5d → T2 3d
- Yarn/dyeing & loom planning: 7–10d
- Cut-sew: 8–12d (2–3 lines)
- Finishing/packing: 3–4d
- PSI: 1–2d, Docs: 1–2d, Buffer (monsoon if July): +3d
Ready-to-Ship: T0 + 30–36 working days.
Ceramic Mugs – 10,000 pcs (Khurja) with new mould
- Mould: 14–18d (overlaps with glaze development last 5d)
- T1 samples from new mould: 14–21d
- Bulk (casting → bisque → glaze → fire × 2–3 kiln cycles): 28–35d
- Decal & packing: 5–7d
- Testing (LFGB): 7–10d (parallel to early bulk)
- PSI: 2d, Docs: 2d, Peak-season buffer: +6d
Ready-to-Ship: T0 + 68–82 working days.
Inspection windows (book early)
- DUPRO at 20–60% completion (1 day on-site, report same/next day).
- PSI at ≥80% packed (1–2 days incl. carton checks & AQL).
- Reserve at PO to avoid end-of-month congestion.
Common risk flags & mitigations
- Finish matching (plating tones, stain shades): lock a golden sample and require delta-E/visual swatches.
- Packaging artwork delays: pre-approve dielines; run plain cartons if needed and over-label.
- Compliance test failures: run pre-tests on T2 samples; keep alternate finishes ready.
- Monsoon/curing: switch to low-VOC fast-cure where possible; extend drying racks; dehumidifiers.
- Festival shutdowns: front-load critical path; add 5–10% buffer in Sep–Nov.
Best-practice use
- Freeze spec & upload drawings/photos.
- Get your base-case and risk-case dates.
- Decide MOQs/partials using our scale chart.
- Pre-book DUPRO/PSI and packaging artwork slots.
- Push to FOB→DDP Preview to see latest ETAs door-to-door.
Not a promise—an honest plan
This guide is a planning model based on current India capacity norms for each cluster. Final dates depend on your approved sample, PO release, and factory confirmation.
