For hotel textiles from India, expect minimums starting at around 200 to 500 pieces per SKU, 14 to 21 days for samples, and about 45 to 60 days of production from an approved sample to FOB at an Indian port. Sea freight comes on top. These are planning figures, and the product, the customisation and the mill's schedule can all move them.
What MOQ should you expect?
A minimum order exists because a mill has to set up a loom, buy yarn and run a dye lot. Short runs carry more cost per piece. These are our current guide figures:
| Product | Guide MOQ per SKU |
|---|---|
| Bath towels | 500 pieces |
| Hand towels | 500 mixed with bath; 1,000 on their own |
| Bathrobes | 300 pieces per SKU or size group |
| Bedding | 500 pieces |
| Repeat towel programmes | From 200 pieces |
| Commercial terry | 2,500 pieces |
| Custom shades | From 500 pieces per shade |
| Branded trim programmes | 1,000 pieces |
What pushes an MOQ up or down?
- Up: custom colours, jacquard borders, woven-in logos, unusual sizes or special yarns.
- Down: standard whites, existing constructions, repeat orders, and combining several sizes in a programme.
If your volume is below the minimum, ask what would make it work. Using a standard construction, or combining SKUs across one container, can often solve the problem without paying a heavy small-lot premium.
How does sampling work?
| Stage | Guide time |
|---|---|
| Brief and spec confirmed | A few days |
| Sample made and sent by air courier | 14 to 21 days from brief to your desk |
| Your washing and testing | Set your own time; allow at least a week |
| Revisions, if needed | Each round adds time |
| Signed approval | Starts the production clock |
A stock sample tells you about a supplier's general work. A sample made to your spec tells you what you will actually get. For a first programme, ask for the second kind, and test it in your own laundry. Our sourcing process runs in this order.
What happens during lead time?
From a signed purchase order and an approved sample, 45 to 60 days covers yarn purchase, weaving, dyeing, finishing, stitching, packing and inspection. It runs longer when:
- yarn or dyes need to be bought specially
- artwork or labels aren't approved on time
- the mill's order book is full, as it often is ahead of peak buying seasons
- local holidays, such as Diwali, close units or thin out labour
- a failed inspection needs rework
How do you build the full timeline?
Work back from the date you need goods on site:
| Step | Allow |
|---|---|
| Sampling and approval | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Production and inspection | 7 to 9 weeks |
| Booking, port handling and sea freight | Depends on your route |
| Customs clearance and inland delivery | 1 to 2 weeks |
So plan on about four to six months for a new programme delivered to Europe or North America. It can be shorter for a straightforward repeat order. Ask your forwarder for the current transit time, because routes and carrier schedules change. Our logistics team can help you check it.
How can you shorten it without taking a risk?
- Send a complete spec, or a physical reference sample, at the start.
- Approve artwork and samples quickly, and name one person to do it.
- Reserve production with a forecast before your peak season.
- Keep a master sample and shade card so reorders skip the development stage.
- Hold safety stock so that a late shipment doesn't become an emergency.
Don't try to save time by skipping your wash test or the final inspection. Those are the two steps that catch problems while they are still cheap to fix.
If you already have a required delivery date, send it to us with your product list and your destination. We will work backwards and tell you whether it is realistic.
Frequently asked
- What is the typical MOQ for hotel towels from India?
- Around 500 pieces per SKU on a first order, with lower figures possible on repeat programmes. Custom colours, jacquard borders and branding usually raise the minimum.
- How long do samples take from India?
- Allow 14 to 21 days from a clear brief to samples at your desk by air courier. Each revision round adds time.
- How long does production take?
- About 45 to 60 days from a signed purchase order and approved sample to FOB at an Indian port, for a standard programme. Peak seasons, holidays and special materials can extend that.