Where an importer can be the better choice
An importer can often offer a lower price for a comparable look, especially on standard designs bought in volume. Ready stock in a showroom or warehouse lets you see, touch and sit on the exact piece you will take home, and sometimes take it the same week. Range can be wide, because an importer can bring in many designs from many factories. If you need a room furnished quickly, are comfortable with the design as it is, and are buying a category outside the Furniture QCO or from a certified factory, an importer may suit you well. Ask for the delivered price, the invoice and the warranty in writing, and check who will service the piece. If it is ready stock, inspect the exact piece you will receive, not a display sample.
What SOISU puts in writing
SOISU's promise is "What we promise, we put in writing." Before production, you sign a drawing and specification of your piece. The ready-by date is written on the order. The warranty is 2 years, on the terms in the order. After-sales is handled by SOISU's own team. If your home is not ready, SOISU holds the furniture free for up to 30 days. SOISU also offers home measurement, drawings and technical drawings, and 3D visualisation, so size and proportion are checked against your room before anything is made. Pricing starts from a base model at a base price; any producible change to size, material or design revises the price, and SOISU does not publish prices. Standard products stay at the base price, with stitch options only.
BIS and regulatory exposure
As of September 2026, an importer selling beds, tables, desks, chairs, stools, storage units or bunk beds must source from manufacturers holding a BIS licence, and pre-deadline stock can be sold for 12 months only by makers who are certified or have applied, according to consultant summaries of S.O. 774(E). Power recliners fall under IS 302 (Part 1):2024 from 1 October 2026. For any seller, ask about the finished product's certification, not only a component. SOISU's recliner motors are BIS-certified and sourced in India; ask SOISU for the finished product's current position when you order, as you would any seller. Check the current notification on egazette.gov.in or bis.gov.in. SOISU's history is relevant here: it moved production and assembly from China to India as BIS rules arrived, so its pieces are assembled here rather than cleared through customs as finished furniture.
Lead time and dates
An importer's ready stock can be the fastest option of all. Anything not in stock depends on a container: production in China, holidays such as Golden Week, freight that has been volatile in 2025–26, and clearance in India. Each stage can slip. SOISU's ready, in-stock pieces within Mumbai limits are typically delivered within 30–34 hours of payment. Custom pieces have a ready-by date written on the order, and if your home is not ready by then, SOISU holds the furniture free for up to 30 days. Whichever you choose, get the date in writing and ask what happens if it slips. Ready stock from an importer can also be quick; the difference shows up mainly on custom or out-of-stock pieces, where a container is involved.
How to decide
Start with the piece. For a standard dining chair or side table you can inspect today, an importer's price and ready stock may win. For a sofa sized to your wall, a recliner you will use daily, or a bed you want to last, the written specification, date, warranty and a service team in India carry more weight. Ask both options the same questions: What exactly is included in the price? Where is the manufacturer and what is its BIS status for this category? What does the written warranty cover? Who comes when something breaks, and how are parts sourced? Compare the answers side by side, in writing. A seller who answers clearly and in writing is easier to hold to those answers later, whichever option you choose.