What Overseas Traders does

Overseas Traders is a privately held Indian B2B supplier of East Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) components for the global guitar manufacturing industry, operating from a single modern manufacturing facility in the Gamanagatti Industrial Estate, Hubli, Karnataka. The company sources rosewood almost exclusively through Karnataka Forest Department government timber depot auctions — a procurement channel restricted by the Karnataka Forest Act — and exports processed components to customers in North America, Europe, and other international markets. Its product portfolio is focused on four core categories: backs and sides, fingerboards (fretboards), necks and bridges, and figured wood, with FSC-certified variants available and full CITES Appendix II compliance documentation (chain of custody) supporting cross-border exports.

The business is led by the Yogi family, with six generations of accumulated expertise in rosewood grading and cutting and team members carrying more than 25 years of craft experience. CEO Sanjay Jyotindra Yogi oversees production and procurement, while Managing Director Ankit Sanjay Yogi drives the next-generation operations. Notable enterprise customers include Martin, Fender, Gibson, PRS, Collings, Lowden, Godin, Bourgeois, and Cordoba, supplemented by mid-market and boutique luthiers such as Scott Walker Guitars, Van Bergeijk Guitars, and Two Old Hippies. Customer testimonials repeatedly highlight product quality, chain-of-custody rigor, and reliability of export logistics.

The revenue model is direct B2B sales of physically produced hardware components (rosewood guitar parts), with pricing likely quote-based and negotiated per order rather than on disclosed standardized terms. The company does not run formal marketing programs, relying instead on direct enterprise relationships, customer testimonials, and a basic informational website. The historical pivot into rosewood exports traces to the 1975 insolvency of the family's earlier Amarshi Manji timber business in Mahuva, Gujarat, and the contemporaneous Brazilian rosewood export ban, which positioned East Indian rosewood as the primary substitute for premium guitar manufacturing.

Name

Overseas Traders

Legal name

Overseas Traders

Website

https://overseas-traders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Overseas Traders is a privately held, family-owned Indian B2B supplier of East Indian rosewood components — backs, sides, fingerboards, necks, bridges, and figured wood — for premium acoustic and electric guitar manufacturers worldwide, including Martin, Fender, and Gibson.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Tonewood Manufacturing

NAICS

Sawmills (321113), Wood Product Manufacturing (321), Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers (42331)

SIC

Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421), Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Hardwood Lumber Sawmills (IMAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Planing Mills & Lumber Surfacing (IMAMABAE), Forest Products Import/Export & Commodity Merchants (IMAMAIAM)

Keywords

• Rosewood guitar components
• East Indian rosewood
• Musical instrument parts
• Guitar tonewood
• Rosewood fingerboards

Headquarters

HQ city

Hubli

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Rosewood Guitar Component Sales: Manufacture and export of East Indian rosewood components for acoustic and electric guitars. Products include backs and sides, fingerboards, necks, bridges, head veneers, and figured wood. Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales to guitar manufacturers worldwide.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Overseas Traders manufactures and exports East Indian Rosewood components for acoustic and electric guitars. The product range includes backs and sides, fingerboards, necks, bridges, head veneers, and figured wood sets. Rosewood logs are procured from Karnataka Forest Department timber depot auctions and processed at the company's facility in Gamanagatti Industrial Estate, Hubli, for direct supply to guitar manufacturers worldwide.

Product overview

Overseas Traders is a manufacturer and exporter specializing in East Indian Rosewood products for musical instruments, primarily serving the acoustic and electric guitar industry. Their product portfolio includes four core offerings: Backs and Sides (rosewood sets for guitar bodies), Fingerboards (fretboards), Necks and Bridges (structural guitar components), and Figured Wood (unusually figured backs and sides for exclusive instruments). All products are available with FSC certification and comply with CITES Appendix II requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Backs and Sides East Indian rosewood sets for guitar backs and sides, used for sound reflection and tonal characteristics, available in color variations ranging from dark purple, blue to red and brown. Produced for acoustic guitar manufacturers worldwide.
• Fingerboards Rosewood fingerboards (fretboards) for acoustic and electric guitars that produce warm, sweet tones and feature a dark aesthetic appearance. Sold as standalone components to guitar manufacturers.
• Necks and Bridges Rosewood necks (the strongest structural part of a guitar) and bridges for electric and acoustic guitars. Head veneers and additional related components supplied as per customer requirements.
• Figured Wood Unusually figured rosewood backs and sides sourced from rosewood logs with unique defects, variations, or knots on the skin, used to produce exclusive and extraordinary acoustic guitars.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the top exporters of East Indian Rosewood from India

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.

• J.H. Monteath & Co.foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975Through the New York state department of commerce, Jyotindra Yogi established a link between Overseas Traders and J.H. Monteath Co. in 1975. This relationship initiated the export business for Overseas Traders. In 1969, Mr. Frank Blackaitis, Vice President of J.H. Monteath & Co., visited India because of the total ban on export of Brazilian rosewood, making East Indian rosewood the best alternative.
• Karnataka Forest DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOverseas Traders buys almost 100% of their rosewood requirements from Karnataka Forest department. All rosewood trees/logs in Karnataka are sold only at online auctions. The department has Working Plans in place for each forest division to ensure sustainable harvesting.
• Coffee Estates in KarnatakaminorOthersCoffee estates in Karnataka use rosewood trees for scattered shade that benefits coffee plants. When extraction of rosewood trees is needed, the procedure involves thorough verification by forest officials and adherence to forest laws.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Luthiers Mercantile International (LMI): Long-established US-based tonewood and guitar component supplier serving both boutique luthiers and larger manufacturers. Comparable B2B distribution model for premium tonewoods and components, overlapping product categories (backs, sides, fingerboards).
• Pacific Rim Tonewoods: Supplies spruce, maple, rosewood, and other tonewoods to luthiers and major guitar manufacturers including Fender. Direct competitor in the global tonewood distribution market, with overlapping customer base in North American guitar manufacturing.
• Allied Lutherie: US-based tonewood and luthier supplies retailer/distributor. Competes in the same tonewood supply category for guitar components, primarily serving smaller builders and workshops.
• Timberline Guitars: Sells figured and premium tonewood sets for guitar building. Comparable niche in figured/decorative wood sets with similar B2B positioning toward boutique luthiers.
• Madinter Trade: Spanish-based global distributor of tonewoods including rosewood, ebony, and spruce. Directly comparable in serving guitar manufacturers across Europe and the Americas with CITES-compliant exotic tonewoods.

Broad incumbents

• StewMac (Stewart-MacDonald): Major US-based supplier to guitar builders offering tools, hardware, and tonewoods including fingerboard blanks and blanks for acoustic construction. Overlaps in tonewood and component supply but operates as a broad one-stop shop rather than rosewood specialist.

Emerging players

• Tropical Wood (Madera Tropical / Tropical Timber): Various South American and African tropical hardwood suppliers who participate in the global rosewood/ebony trade. Comparable in CITES-regulated exotic wood supply, though typically with different species and customer mix.

Others

• J.H. Monteath & Co. Long-established wood products broker that initiated Overseas Traders' export business in 1975 and remains a foundational partner. Industry adjacent as a US-based importer/distributor of tropical hardwoods including rosewood.
• Gibson Custom / Epiphone (Component Sourcing): Major guitar manufacturer and Overseas Traders customer. Cited as a thematic comparable for understanding downstream demand dynamics for rosewood components, though vertically integrated buyer rather than peer supplier.
• C.F. Martin & Co. Wood Sourcing: Premium guitar manufacturer and Overseas Traders customer with its own wood-procurement program. Thematically adjacent as a downstream buyer of East Indian rosewood, providing a demand-side reference point for premium tonewood sourcing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/overseas-traders

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Overseas Traders