Outcome we drive: the best price-to-performance material that meets your market’s regulations and holds up in production—no guesswork, only benchmarks.

How we choose materials (method, not magic)

• Benchmark the cost curve: We pin options to public indices so decisions reflect the real market.
  – Polymers: Indian majors cut PP by ₹1,500/MT on Aug 1, 2025—a saving many quotes fail to pass through.
  – Metals: LME cash on Aug 13, 2025: Copper ~$9,746/t; Aluminium ~$2,626/t—our baselines for metal vs plastic trade-offs.
  – Fibres/textiles: USDA’s Upland spot (7-market) base quotations ranged ~61.67–64.32¢/lb in early Aug 2025—useful for cotton-linked choices.
  – Transport/fuel sensitivity: Inland legs are normalised to official diesel RSP (Delhi ₹87.67/L on Aug 12, 2025), so landed-cost comparisons are fair.
  
• Lock quality to standards: We only nominate grades that have clear, testable specs.
  – Food-contact plastics (India): HDPE per IS 10146, PET per IS 12252, PP per IS 10910.
  – Structural steels: IS 2062 (E250/E350…) for hot-rolled sections; IS 277:2018 for galvanized sheet/coil.
  – Corrugated packaging: IS 13228 for corrugated boxes (sampling & tests).
  – Food packaging compliance (India): FSSAI Packaging Regulations, 2018—food-grade materials & NABL-testable conformity.
  – Electronics: India RoHS obligations under the E-Waste Rules—material choices avoid restricted substances.
  
• Validate manufacturability: We check thickness, temper, MFI/IV, yield strength, ECT/burst, etc., against your tooling and process windows—then run pilot lots.
  

Typical recommendations by category (examples)

• Consumer foodware & primary packaging
  – Switch to PP-H/PP-R or HDPE with migration compliance (IS 10910 / IS 10146) and FSSAI packaging rules baked into artwork and COA requirements. PET for clarity-critical SKUs (IS 12252).
  – Why now: Domestic PP down ₹1,500/MT (Aug ’25); use MFI-matched grades to avoid cycle-time penalties.
  
• Appliances & light enclosures
  – Aluminium (good stiffness-to-weight, corrosion) vs CR/galvanized steel (IS 277) where stamping & cost lead. We size thickness to meet drop/deflection targets, then compare to LME baselines.
  
• Fixtures/frames & general fabrication
  – Standardise to IS 2062 E250/E350 with weldability notes; use galvanizing per IS 277 in coastal/humid lanes to avoid over-spec paints.
  
• Textiles & soft goods
  – Cotton/poly blends tuned to target GSM and hand-feel, cost-checked to current USDA upland spot reference; optionally align with OEKO-TEX/GOTS where branding requires.
  
• Shipper cartons & secondary packs
  – Board grade and flute set per IS 13228; choose kraft/liners to meet compression at your stack height, then right-size to cut CBM.
  

“Show-your-math” snapshot (Aug 2025)

• PP price move: −₹1,500/MT (IOCL/RIL notices, Aug 1). For a SKU with 0.6 kg PP/unit, that’s ₹0.90/unit should-cost relief before conversion.
  
• Metal alternative check: With Al ~$2,626/t vs Cu ~$9,746/t, aluminium heat-sink or enclosure substitutions can unlock material savings where conductivity requirements allow.
  
• Cotton context: ~62–64¢/lb upland spot range early Aug helps frame fibre vs. man-made blend ratios for cost control.
  

Compliance built in (so approvals are smooth)

• Food contact: Designs reference FSSAI Packaging 2018 + relevant IS plastics standards; we route tests via NABL-accredited labs and keep reports in your tech file.
  
• EEE: Material BOM screened for India RoHS prohibited substances; alternatives proposed with supplier declarations.
  
• Steel & coatings: PO lines cite IS 2062 / IS 277 with coating mass/test frequencies lifted directly from the standard.
  

Your deliverables

• Material Shortlist & Should-Cost Sheet: 2–3 options per part with index links (IOCL/RIL, LME, USDA spot), conversion notes, and MOQ/lead-time impacts.
  
• Compliance Pack: The exact BIS/FSSAI clauses applied (IS 10146 / IS 10910 / IS 12252 / IS 2062 / IS 277) and test plan templates for supplier COAs.
  
• Supplier Briefs: Grade/temper/MFI/IV specs, inspection checkpoints, and substitution rules—so cost-downs never degrade quality.
  

Bottom line: IndiaUnbox blends live commodity benchmarks with BIS/FSSAI/RoHS compliance to pick materials that are cheaper and certifiably good—then proves the savings with numbers you can defend.