Raw Material procurement and planning are critical to success, of a start-up unit. The raw materials required may be:-
Domestically available (within the country):- As we know that our country is a resource rich country with abundance of specific raw materials in different States. (For details, please refer to 'Investment opportunities and incentives' section). Accordingly appropriate suppliers of raw materials have to be selected.
Imported from abroad:- For importing the raw materials the Government rules and regulations have to be followed. The imports are regulated by the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992. The Act provides for the appointment by the Central Government, of a Director General of Foreign Trade for the purpose of the Act. The DGFT shall advise Central Government in formulating export and import policy and implementing the policy. (For details, please refer to 'Legal Aspects' section).
Whatever be the source of raw materials it must be bought from reputed dealers and agencies only. Before ordering, compare the prices and get quotation from at least 3-4 places and also check whether price is inclusive or exclusive of transportation costs. While receiving the delivery, check the quality and quantity of the materials.
Proper planning is essential because non-availability of the required raw material may result in production hold-ups, idle machinery and manpower. On the other hand if too much is ordered too soon considerable amount of working capital gets locked up. All this will lead to increased production costs. But proper inventory management can lead to manageable cash flow situations. For imported raw material whose lead time are large, proper planning is all the more essential.
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