From Indian Manufacturer to Global Brand | The Amazon Growth Journey

Host

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Gxpress podcast. Today we are talking about an opportunity that is taking Indian businesses into global markets. With us is Aditya, founder of Jai Sri Tradex, who built his business in India and then took it international. Aditya, welcome. It is great to have you with us.

Aditya

Firstly, thank you for having me here.

Host

Tell us about Jai Sri Tradex, and how you started.

Aditya

We started the company around 20 years ago as a garment export firm, supplying importers and wholesalers in the US, the UK and Germany. We began with a very small factory in Delhi. Over the years we expanded to three factories, with a separate design team, an embroidery team and a marketing team. We also expanded how we think. We started as a manufacturer, then became an exporter. Right now we are a marketer, a brand builder and an inventory planner. We have really grown over the last 20 years.

Host

How did you choose Amazon as your growth channel?

Aditya

About 10 years ago we decided to get into international e-commerce, and Amazon was the natural choice. It gave us a platform to put our product in front of the customer, and control over what to sell, how to sell and how to market it. It has been, and still is, the biggest platform for e-commerce.

Host

Once you were established on Amazon, how did you think about entering more international markets?

Aditya

Once we had a good hold on the US market, we entered the UK, Germany and Canada. Gxpress, as our logistics partner, really helped us enter those markets — understanding the compliance, the duty and the import requirements.

Host

Let's talk numbers. When you started exporting, how many kilos were you shipping a month, and where are you now?

Aditya

This is embarrassing. In the first month we did around 100 kg. Right now we do around 5,000 kg a month.

Host

That is incredible.

Host

What challenges were you facing when you started?

Aditya

The biggest challenge was deciding what to sell — really understanding the market and studying the customer. Second was inventory planning. We are in garments, so every design has many colours and many sizes, and the number of SKUs has grown over the years. Third is costing. Understanding the cost inside the factory is easy. Understanding the landed cost after freight, import duties, Amazon fees and advertising — that was the biggest challenge.

Host

How important is logistics in scaling a business like yours?

Aditya

According to me, logistics is not important. It is critical. It is not just about moving boxes from one country to another. It is timely delivery, and handling the paperwork at the destination. It affects how sales move, how working capital is managed, and customer satisfaction.

Host

So logistics touches every part of the business. Peak season is around the corner — Black Friday, Cyber Monday. How do you plan logistics and inventory for that?

Aditya

For events like Black Friday we plan one year ahead, because production takes time and international freight takes time. A year out we start forecasting the quantities. We start pushing inventory at least 10 months before the event. At least three months before, we start the marketing, with the inventory already in place. We do not want to rely on the last two days to push the marketing.

Host

Once the logistics setup is in place, what really matters — transit time, reliability?

Aditya

Pricing is one of the most important factors, because higher freight costs can kill the profitability of a product. Reliability matters just as much. Garments are a seasonal business. We need delivery on time — not before, and not after. If it is late, we miss the sales. If it is early, we pay a lot of warehousing. Third is destination support. When a shipment arrives, the logistics partner should have control of warehousing, imports, customs clearance and compliance.

Host

Have you used warehousing from your logistics partner?

Aditya

Yes. We use Gxpress for warehousing in the US. They hold stock when we do not want it pushed to an Amazon warehouse. And when something has to go out urgently, we need a partner who can identify and send the correct boxes. Pushing the wrong inventory to an Amazon warehouse can be a big loss.

Host

If an Indian garment seller is already successful on Amazon India, what three things should they get right before they start?

Aditya

First, decide what to sell. Do not rely on assumptions. Study the data and the customer preference. Second, understand the unit cost. A product can look profitable in the factory and not be profitable when it reaches the US shore. Third is the supply chain. Manufacturing is the easiest part. Sending the material, and then marketing it, is the important part.

Host

Tell us one incident where your logistics partner really stepped in.

Aditya

Last year, around Christmas, we were very low on inventory and had no idea how to get it to the Amazon warehouse on time. I called the Gxpress team. They coordinated the whole process, picked up the shipment in around five hours, and got it delivered in seven days. That saved our Christmas sales. Otherwise we would have faced a lot of losses that year.

Host

What is the biggest lesson you have learned as an entrepreneur?

Aditya

Whatever you do, do it with passion. Otherwise it is all numbers. Business is nothing but numbers — but do it with passion, and the success comes naturally. Follow your heart, follow your passion, and you will achieve what you are aiming for.

Host

Aditya, thank you for joining us. Your story is a good example of how an Indian business can start small and use a platform like Amazon. And to everyone watching: if you are an Indian seller thinking of taking your brand global, we hope this episode gives you practical takeaways, and the confidence to take the next step. We will see you in the next episode. Until then, keep growing, keep building.

Aditya

Thank you for having me today, and thank you Gxpress for having me as a customer.