Asia
Container Shipping from the UK to India
Seven ports from Nhava Sheva to Kattupalli give full national coverage, with inbound groupage from Nhava Sheva, Chennai and Cochin and inland collection reaching Delhi, Bangalore and Ludhiana.
- Code
- IN
- Ports
- 7
- Sea transit
- 20–29days
Container shipping from the UK to India runs full container load to Nhava Sheva (JNPT) (INNSA), Mundra (INMUN), Chennai (INMAA), Cochin (INCOK), Pipavav (INPAV), Visakhapatnam (INVTZ) and Kattupalli (INKAT). Less than container load runs to Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin and Visakhapatnam, with onward delivery to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Nagpur, New Delhi, Pondicherry and Tuticorin. Sea transit is 20–29 days port to port and air freight 1–3 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in India are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in India
Full container load goes to Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin, Pipavav, Visakhapatnam and Kattupalli. Groupage goes to Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin and Visakhapatnam. It is delivered onward to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Nagpur, New Delhi, Pondicherry and Tuticorin. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin, Pipavav, Visakhapatnam or Kattupalli
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Felixstowe.
- UK door
- UK loading warehouse
- Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin or Visakhapatnam
- Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Nagpur, New Delhi, Pondicherry or Tuticorin
Consolidated first at our UK loading warehouses: Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Essex, Glasgow, Manchester or Newcastle.
Nhava Sheva (JNPT)
INNSANavi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Mundra
INMUNMundra, Gujarat
Chennai
INMAAChennai, Tamil Nadu
Cochin
INCOKKochi, Kerala
Pipavav
INPAVPipavav, Gujarat
Visakhapatnam
INVTZVisakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Kattupalli
INKATKattupalli, Tamil Nadu
Inland delivery points in India
Groupage reaches 9 locations beyond the ports, by road from whichever port the container is stripped at. If your town is on this list we deliver to the door; if it is not, ask — the list is where we run a regular service, not the limit of where we can go.
Ahmedabad
Bangalore
Calcutta
Coimbatore
Hyderabad
Nagpur
New Delhi
Pondicherry
Tuticorin
The transit figures on the port cards above are port to port. Delivery to an inland point adds the road leg from the arrival port, which is confirmed with your quote rather than estimated here.
Get a price for India
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in India are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £895.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £895.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £1,095.00 | per 40ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £1,095.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £187.26 | per cubic metre |
| LCL groupage | £187.26 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to India?
Machinery and industrial equipment, scientific and laboratory instruments, automotive components, chemicals in packaged form, and branded consumer goods move through Nhava Sheva and Mundra as routine groupage cargo.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into India?
India charges IGST at a standard rate of 18%, charged on the assessable value plus Basic Customs Duty, with GST rates of 5, 12, 18 or 28% depending on the goods. Customs duty is separate and runs at Basic Customs Duty typically 0–20%, plus surcharges, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
India stacks its charges rather than applying one rate: Basic Customs Duty first, then a Social Welfare Surcharge of 10% of that duty, then IGST on the total. The effective landed rate is therefore well above the headline GST figure. Your consignee must hold an Importer Exporter Code (IEC) from the DGFT and have an AD Code registered at the port of arrival, or the Bill of Entry cannot be filed at all.
What are the import restrictions in India?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into India?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
UK to India shipping: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to India take?
Sea freight runs about 20–29 days port to port, and air freight 1–3 days airport to airport. Cochin is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 20 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in India?
We move cargo through 7 ports in India: Nhava Sheva (JNPT) (INNSA), Mundra (INMUN), Chennai (INMAA), Cochin (INCOK), Pipavav (INPAV), Visakhapatnam (INVTZ), Kattupalli (INKAT). Full container load goes to Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin, Pipavav, Visakhapatnam and Kattupalli. Groupage runs to Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Chennai, Cochin, Visakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Nagpur, New Delhi, Pondicherry and Tuticorin, including inland points served by road from the arrival port. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for India?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in India — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the India lane?
Much of the country's inland cargo is handled at container depots rather than at the quay itself, so delivery to an inland destination adds a leg after port clearance. Ask for the door transit rather than the port transit if your consignee is not on the coast. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes industrial machinery and equipment, chemicals and intermediates, precision instruments and components.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near India — each one works as an origin or a destination.
South Korea
Import & export · Busan
FCL from
£295.00
per 20ft container
30+ days
Japan
Import & export · Yokohama
FCL from
£450.00
per 20ft container
32+ days
Pakistan
Import & export · Karachi
FCL from
£1,420.00
per 20ft container
20+ days
Plan the rest of the move
Shipping to India? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.