In 2024, Australia exported goods worth $16.48 billion to India, making it one of the top importers of Australian goods.
With more freight partners and retailers wanting to capitalise on this lucrative bilateral trade relationship between the two countries. Australian eCommerce retailers can make the most of ot by offering customers different types of shipping options that help them ship goods seamlessly from Australia to India.
That said, let us start this guide by understanding the shipping options you can consider for transporting goods from Australia to India and then delve deeper into the process:
Understanding Your Shipping Options
The choice of shipping mode for your goods will depend on the shipping speed, nature of the goods you are sending, and your budget. Even then, when you are shipping from Australia to India, you need to consider one of these three freight options:
Air Freight
Suitable for shipments that need to be shipped and delivered on a limited timeframe, air freight is a great shipping option for eCommerce stores that offer priority delivery speeds. Because of its reliability and efficiency, air freight is often considered for highly valuable goods or goods that need to be urgently delivered.
When shipping to India, the air freight option typically ensures that your goods are delivered within 2 to 8 days. However, you need to be wary about the limitations on size and weight, as well as the restricted items.
Ocean/Sea Freight
If air freight does not give you the required flexibility, you can consider ocean or sea freight for shipping goods from Australia to India. It is also considered the most economical way to transport goods between the two countries, whether you are processing an LCL (less-than-container load) or FCL (full-container load).
When working with a smaller volume, you will opt for LCL, wherein your shipment will be consolidated with cargo from other shippers. On the other hand, you can opt for FCL when working with a large volume of goods, wherein you will be paying for the entire container space.
However, the typical transit times for goods to travel from Australia to India range from 15 to 50 days, making this option ideal only for goods that don’t have to reach the destination within a limited timeframe.
Courier and Express Services
If your requirement is not extensive, and you want to send only a one-time shipment from Australia to India, you might be better off opting for courier and express shipping services. Owing to the increased frequency of goods exchange between the two countries, several courier service providers can help you easily transport small parcels, personal effects and documents.
5 Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Shipping Partner
Irrespective of the freight option you choose to transport your goods to India, you will need the right shipping partner to help you navigate the process. Here are some of the key factors to consider in the process of choosing the right shipping partner for your transportation needs:
1. Reliability
Ensuring that your courier partner is reliable and will safely transport your goods or items to the destination should be at the top of your list. Whether yours is a one-time shipment or you’re looking to establish a proper channel, you will need a reliable shipping partner to help you out.
Consider opting for an experienced international courier service provider like PACK & SEND, which can guarantee that your goods reach their destination in India safely and on time.
2. Tracking Capabilities
Prioritise courier partners and freight forwarders who can offer real-time tracking abilities and help you gain more visibility into your supply chain operations. Real-time tracking may not be a significant feature for one-time shipments, but for shippers looking for consistent transparency and visibility, real-time tracking can make or break the deal.
When comparing courier partners, ensure that you choose one that offers tracking features over the ones that don’t.
For instance, choosing a shipping partner like PACK & SEND will ensure that you can track your shipment all the way to India as soon as it is shipped out.
3. Experience and Expertise
Maybe the shipping partner you have chosen is reliable and offers the features you have been seeking. Even then, determining whether they have the required expertise and experience shipping from Australia to India is equally important to ensure operational efficiency. A shipping partner who lacks the necessary expertise in international shipping operations or shipping to India might run into unexpected lags or issues.
As a leading courier and freight partner in Australia, PACK & SEND has years of experience and expertise in international shipping operations, and can help you manage and streamline your courier operations to India.
4. Customer Reviews
Even if you are convinced about the expertise and experience that a specific courier partner brings to the equation, you must rely on the word of other customers before you make up your mind. Check customer reviews to figure out the positive and negative things people are talking about the shipping partner, and check whether they are a good fit for managing your requirements.
5. Service Quality
Even shipping service providers with adequate expertise and experience can under-deliver on customer expectations, which is where service quality comes into the picture. You don’t want to partner up with a shipping service provider only to find yourself dealing with a hardly responsive team, or waiting a long time to resolve queries.
With a national network of service centres and a wide range of contact options, PACK & SEND makes it easy for you to get quick resolutions to your queries and issues.
How to Ship from Australia to India: 5 Steps to Follow
Now that we have the basics covered, let’s look at the specifics of the shipping process when you want to transport goods from Australia to India. Here are the steps you must include in the process:
1. Follow the Packing Guidelines
Depending on the nature of your goods and the shipping option you choose, you must consider different types of packaging materials when packing your shipment. Consider using strong outer packaging like sturdy crates or corrugated boxes to safeguard your shipment during transit.
You should also add adequate and appropriate filler materials, bubble wrap, and proper labelling to ensure your shipment safely travels from Australia to India. Remember to follow special protocols and packaging requirements if you ship goods containing any hazardous or restricted materials.
2. Measuring and Weighing
Before you proceed with shipping your goods, you must prepare your shipment by measuring its weight and dimensions. Since your courier service partner will calculate the total cost of shipping your goods from Australia to India based on the volumetric or dimensional weight of your shipments, ensure to use a calculator and get an accurate estimate.
You can also calculate it manually, by measuring and weighing your shipment using the right scale, and replacing the values in the following formula:
DIM weight = (Length x Width x Height)/ DIM Factor
3. Understand the Documentation and Customs Requirements
Firstly, Indian customs legally mandates that recipients present government-recognised identity and address proofs during customs clearance when you send your goods through an international courier to India. This is a part of a broader KYC (Know Your Customer) requirement, which you should inform your recipient as soon as the goods are shipped.
All you have to do is ask the recipient to visit the KYC portal and submit the necessary documents to finish the process successfully, and ensure a smooth customs clearance and avoid any delays or lags in the process.
You will also need an import permit, customs forms, a pro-forma or commercial invoice, and a Certificate of Origin to ensure that your shipment reaches the destination safely without issues. You must also avoid adding vague, incomplete, or handwritten descriptions, as they can lead to shipment rejections and destruction.
4. Consider the Prohibited and Restricted Items
Along with the documents necessary for customs and importation into India, you must also ensure that your goods don’t include or contain any of the items prohibited for import in India, such as:
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Wildlife
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Food items containing parts of wild birds or animals
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Ivory & Antiquities
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Soap stocks
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Fur skin of animals covered under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972
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Pornographic or obscene materials
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Pirated or counterfeit goods
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Narcotics
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Weapons or ammunition
You should also cross-check with this list of prohibited items that you can not ship out of Australia. You must also ensure that you are not attempting to import livestock, certain types of poultry, certain kinds of seeds, or other goods listed on the DGFT website.
5. Estimate the Shipping Costs
Every courier or shipping partner offers different freight rates they multiply by the dimensional or volumetric weight to calculate the final shipping cost. Most of them also provide online postage or shipping cost calculators that you can use to get a cost estimate for shipping goods from Australia to India.
Ensure to account for any additional taxes, customs duties or charges that you might be paying upon arrival at the destination port, as part of the process.
Concluding Remarks
Shipping from Australia to India follows a fairly simple process compared to shipping to many other destinations around the world. Since India is a growing and lucrative country for Australian exporters and eCommerce retailers, it makes sense that several logistics and courier service providers offer services that can help you navigate the packing, shipping, customs clearance and delivery processes.
Get a quote from PACK & SEND, and ensure your goods are being handled by professional and experienced shipping service providers to successfully ship your products to India.