Sourcing Consultants Association

What Sourcing Consultants Association does

BAA is a non-profit, membership-based trade association for buying agents and sourcing consultants in India, formally registered on 14 July 2016 with the active support of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). Headquartered at EPCH House, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, the association serves as a collective voice for intermediaries who facilitate export transactions between international buyers and Indian manufacturers across sectors such as textiles, handicrafts, furniture, plastics, and general merchandise. As of its tenth year, BAA reports 280+ member organizations, 222+ events conducted, 5,000+ exporters and 1,500+ buyers connected through its network, and $3B+ in facilitated exports alongside 40M+ in employment generation.

The association's core offering is a tiered membership structure with publicly disclosed annual pricing: Associate Member (INR 8,000 joining + INR 4,000 annual, for facilitated exports under US$50,000), Member (INR 15,000 + INR 7,500, for exports over US$50,000), International Member (US$250 + US$100, same benefits as Associate), and Institutional Member (INR 20,000 + INR 10,000, for organizations). Benefits scale by tier and include directory access, quarterly newsletters, networking events, voting rights at AGM, market intelligence reports, business matchmaking, training programs, and corporate sponsorship opportunities — with Members also receiving a waiver of the BAA facilitation fee.

BAA's business model is community-led, monetizing exclusively through recurring annual membership fees and one-time joining fees, with no disclosed external funding or equity backing. The association is governed by an elected Governing Body chaired by Mandira Malik and led by Vice Chairman Sumit Chhabra and General Secretary Anchal Kansal, with operating support from industry professionals including Rakesh Kumar (EPCH) and Christine Elizabeth Rai (Imtiara Consultants). Distribution runs through direct membership application via baa.org.in and field engagement, while go-to-market relies on industry events, a monthly "BAA Sourcing Insider" newsletter, Instagram and YouTube channels, and government liaison work with DPIIT, the Ministry of Textiles, and state governments — most recently through meetings in 2026 on export ecosystem strengthening, MSME cluster development, and participation in the Gujarat Portbandar initiative and Madhya Pradesh ODOP Pragati Summit.

Name

Sourcing Consultants Association

Legal name

Buying Agents Association

Website

https://baa.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BAA is a non-profit, member-driven trade association for buying agents and sourcing consultants in India, offering tiered membership (Associate, Member, International, Institutional) and serving as the collective voice for intermediaries facilitating exports between international buyers and Indian manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BAA generates revenue through annual membership fees and joining fees from members. Tiers include Associate Member, Member, International Member, and Institutional Member, each with different fee structures based on export volume and organizational type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Buying Agents Association (BAA) is a non-profit trade association for buying agents and sourcing consultants in India, offering tiered membership plans (Associate, Member, International, Institutional). It delivers industry advocacy at government levels, networking events, buyer-seller matchmaking, professional development through workshops and certifications, legal and compliance support, and market intelligence reports to connect Indian exporters with international buyers.

Product overview

The Buying Agents Association (BAA) operates as a trade association for buying agents and sourcing consultants in India, offering a tiered membership structure consisting of four distinct plans: Associate Membership, Member Membership, International Members, and Institutional Membership. The association provides services centered on industry advocacy, networking events, professional development programs, legal and compliance support, market research and intelligence, business matchmaking opportunities, and discounts on trade shows. BAA functions as a membership-based professional organization rather than a technology product company, connecting Indian exporters with international buyers and facilitating government liaison for policy influence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate Membership Entry-level membership tier for buying agents and sourcing consultants with facilitated exports less than US $50,000. Includes access to member directory, quarterly newsletter, networking event invitations, basic training programs, and email support.
• Member Membership Standard membership tier for buying agents and sourcing consultants with facilitated exports more than US $50,000. Includes all Associate benefits plus voting rights in AGM, priority event registration, advanced training programs, waiver/deduction of BAA facilitation fee, market intelligence reports, and business matchmaking services.
• International Membership Membership for international buying agents and sourcing consultants, priced in US dollars. Offers same benefits as Associate Member at US $250 joining fee and US $100 annual fee.
• Institutional Membership Corporate and organizational membership tier. Includes all Member benefits plus multiple authorized representatives, dedicated account manager, bulk training program access, corporate event sponsorship opportunities, priority support, and custom research reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 280+ members
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of TextilescoreOthers · 23 June 2026BAA representatives including Ms. Anchal Kansal, Mr. Pramod Rana, Mr. Manoj Rana, Mr. Michael Vinod, and Mr. Anupam Sharan met with Arti Kanwar to discuss export growth, MSME cluster development, sustainability, and compliance.
• FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026BAA was invited by Government of Gujarat and FICCI to participate in the Portbandar initiative aimed at transforming India into a global furniture manufacturing and sourcing hub.
• DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade)coreOthers · 3 June 2026BAA's Governing Body convened a high-level meeting with Shri Jai Prakash Shivhare, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India to discuss strengthening India's export ecosystem.
• Invest IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Mr. Sarthak Dhama, Senior Manager, Invest India attended the DPIIT meeting with BAA to discuss export ecosystem development and investment opportunities.
• BSLminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026MOU signing with BSL for strategic partnership. Details of the partnership collaboration were not specified in the available source.
• IMM (Institute of Management Marketing)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026MOU signing with IMM for strategic partnership. Details of the partnership collaboration were not specified in the available source.
• FDDI (Footwear Design & Development Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026MOU signing with FDDI for collaboration. FDDI has also announced an internship and placement drive starting June 2026 for BAA member access to campus recruitment opportunities.
• OEKO-TEXminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025MOU signing with OEKO-TEX for strategic partnership related to textile certification and standards. OEKO-TEX is an international association that tests for harmful substances in textiles.
• Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2016EPCH provided active support and collaboration in the formal establishment of BAA on 14th July 2016. EPCH continues to host BAA headquarters at their EPCH House facility in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): India's largest industry chamber with deep policy advocacy, large-scale events, and international trade delegation programs; provides the macro-level convening and government-interface function that BAA delivers for buying agents at a narrower scope.
• India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO): Government entity that organizes major trade fairs and B2B events in India (e.g., IITF) and operates convention facilities. Overlaps with BAA's event-driven member engagement function at a national scale.
• Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC): Government-recognized export promotion council for the apparel/garment sector that delivers policy advocacy, trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and market intelligence to Indian apparel exporters — a direct structural analog to BAA's role within its verticals.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI): National trade chamber that organizes export-promotion and cluster development initiatives (including the Portbandar furniture hub where BAA recently participated), with comparable convening and policy influence as BAA at a much broader scale.
• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO): Apex body coordinating India's export promotion councils and trade associations; conducts policy advocacy with the central government and represents Indian exporters broadly — comparable convening and policy function to BAA at a wider scope.
• The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL): Export promotion council for Indian cotton textiles that delivers government liaison, trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and market intelligence for member exporters — a sectoral analog to BAA's membership and export facilitation services.
• Carpet Export Promotion Council: Sector-specific export promotion body for the Indian carpet industry that engages in policy advocacy, buyer-seller meets, and trade fair participation for its exporting members — a similar organizational model to BAA serving a niche export vertical.
• Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC): Government-recognized export promotion council for synthetic textiles; runs trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and market intelligence for its members — directly comparable to the trade-association services BAA offers buying agents in adjacent textile verticals.
• CAPEXIL (Chemicals & Allied Products Export Promotion Council): Export promotion council for chemicals, cosmetics, plastics and allied products. Operates with the same trade-association model of policy advocacy, member services, and export facilitation that BAA applies to buying agents and sourcing consultants.

Direct peers

• Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH): BAA's co-founding partner and host (HQ at EPCH House), EPCH is the government-recognized export promotion body for Indian handicrafts. It serves a closely overlapping mandate of trade facilitation, government liaison, and member services for the same export ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@buyingagentsassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/buyingagentsassociation?igsh=MWt0YXJoeGtzdDJ5aw==
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buying-agents-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sourcing Consultants Association