Start with the decision, not the size of a database
A project-sales team choosing its next site visit needs different information from a strategy team studying capital expenditure. Define the action first: identify a project, confirm its stage, find a responsible stakeholder or understand a territory.
Then ask each source what it can reliably support. A large record count does not show whether projects are current, relevant to your product or already known to your team.
Four sources, four different strengths
| Source | Useful for | Check before acting |
|---|---|---|
| Public agency / company | Original project statements and approvals | Date, exact milestone, subsequent changes |
| Tender notice | A defined procurement package | Eligibility, deadline, scope and original documents |
| Project database / report | Aggregated discovery and stakeholder context | Coverage, source traceability, freshness and permitted exports |
| Field and relationship discovery | Local context and direct confirmation | Consistency, evidence capture and coverage gaps |
Compare a real sample before subscribing
Indian providers such as Biltrax, Projects Today and New Projects Tracker market project intelligence for business users. Ask for a relevant territory sample rather than relying on total coverage claims.
- Deduplicate the sample against your current project list.
- Choose a small set for independent location and stage checks.
- Measure how many records support a specific next sales action.
- Check which important fields are missing and who maintains them.
- Agree on update cadence, permitted use and a correction process.
Record costs as well as useful discoveries. An inexpensive list can be costly if it consumes field time; a more expensive subscription still needs to prove incremental value.
Keep evidence and interpretation separate
An announcement can justify investigation. It cannot, by itself, prove an open order. Keep the original wording, source date and any independent verification beside the sales interpretation.
This is the discipline behind the pilot we’re developing at The Salience Lab. See our evidence standard, or start with the India industrial project source guide.