Shipping guide · Asia Pacific

Shipping from China and Hong Kong to India

India has two requirements that decide most import outcomes: the Importer Exporter Code, without which no commercial import is possible, and BIS certification, which covers a growing list of products and cannot be obtained quickly.

Talk to us about India

Customs authority: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), through ICEGATE
Key registration: Importer Exporter Code (IEC), mandatory for commercial imports
Product control: BIS certification, required for a growing list of products
Import tax: Basic customs duty, social welfare surcharge, and IGST on the total
Scrutiny: Anti dumping duties apply to many Chinese origin goods
Main entry points: Nhava Sheva and Mundra by sea, Delhi and Mumbai by air

The IEC is straightforward: a one time registration with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, tied to the importer PAN. Without it the shipment cannot be declared.

BIS is the harder gate. India has been steadily expanding the list of products that require certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards before they can be imported, covering electronics, appliances, steel, toys, chemicals and more. Certification involves factory registration and testing, takes months rather than weeks, and applies to the foreign manufacturer. Shipping a covered product without it means the goods cannot be cleared.

The tax structure is layered but coherent: basic customs duty, a social welfare surcharge on it, and IGST on the total. IGST is creditable for registered businesses, so the real cost is the duty and surcharge, but the cash requirement at clearance includes all of it.

Where cargo lands

Main freight and distribution centres

Mumbai and Navi Mumbai

The commercial capital, with Nhava Sheva port alongside and the largest concentration of trade infrastructure.

Delhi NCR

The northern market and manufacturing belt, served by inland container depots and the main air gateway.

Chennai

The southern industrial centre, with strong automotive and electronics manufacturing and its own port.

Bengaluru and Hyderabad

Technology and pharmaceutical hubs, heavily air freight oriented.

Ahmedabad and Gujarat

The western industrial region, served by Mundra and Pipavav, and a major destination for imported inputs.

Sea freight

Ports of entry and what they mean for your cargo

Nhava Sheva (JNPT)

The largest container port in India, serving Mumbai and the western hinterland, with the widest choice of services.

Mundra

Modern, efficient private port in Gujarat, often faster than the state run alternatives and well connected to the north by rail.

Chennai and Kattupalli

The main southeastern gateways, serving the automotive and electronics industries of Tamil Nadu.

Kolkata and Haldia

Eastern ports serving the northeast and the Bangladesh and Nepal corridors, with draft limitations.

Cochin and Vizhinjam

Southern ports, with Vizhinjam adding deepwater transhipment capability on the southern tip.

Mundra and Nhava Sheva are the two realistic options for most western and northern cargo, and Mundra frequently clears faster. The rail connection north from Gujarat is well developed.

Inland container depots are central to Indian logistics. Cargo often moves under bond from the port to an ICD near the destination and clears there, which is usually more convenient than clearing at the port.

Free time and detention rules are strict and charges accumulate, so having the documentation and BIS position resolved before arrival matters commercially, not just administratively.

Air freight

Airports and when air is the right answer

Delhi (DEL)

The largest air cargo gateway, serving the northern market and manufacturing belt.

Mumbai (BOM)

Major cargo airport serving the commercial capital with full customs facilities.

Bengaluru (BLR) and Chennai (MAA)

Southern gateways serving the technology, pharmaceutical and automotive industries.

Hyderabad (HYD)

Strong pharmaceutical and high-value cargo handling.

India has extensive direct air capacity from Asia, so urgent cargo is well served. Clearance speed at the airport depends far more on documentation and licensing than on the flight.

For technology and pharmaceutical cargo, the specialised handling at Hyderabad and Bengaluru is a genuine advantage over general facilities.

Indicative transit times

How long the movement usually takes

Sea FCL, South China to Nhava Sheva or MundraAround 14 to 22 days port to portShort by long haul standards. Add inland movement and clearance.
Sea LCL, South China to IndiaAround 22 to 34 days door to doorGood consolidation frequency given the volume on this lane.
Air freight, Hong Kong or South China to Delhi or MumbaiAround 3 to 7 days door to doorExtensive direct capacity, including handling and clearance.
BIS certification lead timeMonths, not daysWhere required, this has to be started long before any shipping decision.

These ranges are indicative and exist to help you plan. Real transit time depends on the service, the season, the routing and the clearance itself, and we confirm it per shipment rather than publish it as a promise.

Customs

How clearance into India actually works

The competent authority is Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

The Importer Exporter Code is mandatory and is issued by the DGFT against the importer PAN. It is a one time registration, and without it no commercial import can be declared.

BIS certification is the requirement that most often blocks Asian imports. The list of covered products has expanded steadily, and certification involves the foreign factory being registered and the product tested. It takes months, and it cannot be shortcut once the goods are already in transit.

The import tax stack is basic customs duty on the assessable value, a social welfare surcharge on that duty, and IGST on the whole. Registered businesses credit IGST against their GST liability, so the permanent cost is the duty and surcharge.

Anti dumping and safeguard duties apply to a significant range of Chinese origin goods, particularly chemicals, steel, and certain manufactured products. These can dwarf the basic duty rate and must be checked by classification and origin before pricing a shipment.

Indian customs assesses value carefully and applies valuation rules strictly. Related party transactions and unusually low values both attract scrutiny.

Documentation

What you need to have ready

Commercial invoice

Value, terms and a precise description. Indian customs cross checks classification against it closely.

Packing list

Piece counts, weights and dimensions per package.

Bill of Lading or Air Waybill

The transport contract and the release instrument.

Importer Exporter Code (IEC)

Mandatory registration for the importer.

BIS certification

Where the product is covered. Obtained by the foreign manufacturer in advance.

Bill of Entry

The Indian import declaration, filed electronically through ICEGATE.

Certificate of origin

Where a trade agreement applies, and relevant to anti dumping exposure.

Product specific approvals

FSSAI for food, CDSCO for medical devices, WPC for wireless equipment, and others by category.

Controlled and restricted goods

What gets stopped, and why

BIS certification requirements cover a growing list of products and are enforced at the border. This is the most common reason an otherwise well planned Indian import fails.
Anti dumping duties apply to many Chinese origin goods and can be substantial. They must be checked by classification, not assumed absent.
Wireless and radio equipment requires WPC approval, and telecom equipment has its own certification regime.
Food products require FSSAI registration and compliance with labelling and shelf life rules that are applied strictly at import.
Medical devices and pharmaceuticals fall under CDSCO with their own licensing.
Wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15.

Working with Velonex

What clients usually bring us in for on this lane

Establishing whether a product needs BIS certification before any shipping decision is made, since discovering it in transit means the cargo cannot clear at all.
Checking anti dumping exposure by classification and origin, which for Chinese origin goods can change the entire commercial case.
Electronics, appliances and wireless equipment, where BIS, WPC and customs requirements all apply at once and have to be sequenced properly.
Choosing between Nhava Sheva and Mundra, and between port clearance and an inland container depot near the destination.
Companies with no Indian entity, who need an importer of record arrangement that satisfies the IEC and GST requirements.

Get a quote

Tell us what needs to move to India

We listen before we quote. Share the cargo, the deadline and the constraint, and we will come back with a route that accounts for all three, the documents it will need and a timeline we can stand behind.

Your details

Includes your name, company name and email address

Shipment route

Includes your pickup location and destination

Cargo type

Includes the type of cargo you are shipping

Special requirements

Includes a short note about your challenge

Timeline

Includes your desired timeline

Your quote

A tailored response based on everything above

Corporate logistics partner

Trust, clarity and operational follow through for complex cargo.

Not ready for a quote? Email info@velonex-hk.com or message us on WhatsApp with the question and we will answer it.

Sources

Where this information comes from

General guidance, last reviewed August 2026. Customs rules and product requirements change, and the treatment of any specific shipment depends on its classification, origin and value. Confirm the detail with us or with the authority before you commit to a movement.

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