26 September 2026 · 6 min read · By Clinical Trials
A Sponsor's Guide to Choosing a CRO in India
What sponsors should check before awarding a study to an Indian CRO: certifications, study volume, therapeutic experience and verified directory profiles.
India is one of the world's most active destinations for BA/BE and early-phase clinical research, with hundreds of CROs competing for sponsor studies. Choosing the right partner means looking beyond price.
Check certifications and inspection history
Start with the basics: GLP compliance, NABL accreditation for bioanalytical labs, and a clean record with CDSCO and international regulators. A verified directory profile that lists certifications — reviewed by an administrator rather than self-declared — saves weeks of due diligence.
Match therapeutic experience to your molecule
A CRO that excels at simple oral BA/BE studies may not be the right fit for a complex injectable or a first-in-human trial. Look at study volume in your therapeutic area, the phases they run most often, and the countries where they have executed studies.
Send structured trial briefs
Instead of cold emails, sponsors on Clinical Study Passport send structured trial briefs directly to CROs whose profiles match the study. CROs with an active sponsor reach plan receive briefs in their inbox and can reply in one click — and sponsors can see which CROs opened and responded.