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Scoring Framework

How we evaluate brands across seven dimensions, totaling 100 points.

All brands are evaluated on 7 dimensions, totaling 100 points. Each dimension has specific criteria, and scores reflect both qualitative assessment and operational reality.

DimensionWeight
Brand Story & Mission15
Transparency & Process15
Product Quality Signals15
Global Shipping Readiness15
Brand Identity & UX10
Social Signals15
Operational Credibility15
Total100

Dimension Details

1. Brand Story & Mission (15)

Clear 'why', cultural/design/craft grounding, non-generic narrative.

High scorers: Kartik Research, Okhai
Low scorers: Generic lifestyle D2C brands

2. Transparency & Process (15)

Materials, makers, techniques visible. Artisan involvement explained. Real process > marketing copy.

3. Product Quality Signals (15)

Materials & construction, craft complexity, press/third-party validation, longevity over trends.

4. Global Shipping Readiness (15)

International checkout, clear shipping timelines, duties & returns clarity, multi-currency (bonus). Hard gate — failing this caps a brand at ~75, regardless of taste.

5. Brand Identity & UX (10)

Visual coherence, editorial clarity, non-marketplace feel.

6. Social Signals (15)

Not raw follower count alone. Considers organic engagement, cultural relevance, founder/brand voice, press resonance. Practical floor: ~5k followers.

7. Operational Credibility (15)

Fulfillment reliability, refunds actually happening, customer support responsiveness, consistency over time. Taste without trust = exclusion.

Brand Status

Core

Strong global-ready anchors (80+ score). These brands clearly belong on indई without hesitation.

Emerging

High quality, but missing one or two gates (usually global UX or ops depth). Score range: 70-79.

Excluded

Trust or operational red flags. Design alone was not enough. Score: ≤60.

Data Schema

Our canonical CSV structure includes: brand, website, category, instagram, followers, summary, global_ready, story_score, transparency_score, quality_score, shipping_score, ux_score, social_score, ops_score, total_score, status, last_reviewed, notes, press_links.

For detailed rubric and examples, contact the editorial team.