The World's Biggest
Opportunity Has a Learning Curve.

India is growing faster than any other major economy. Getting in early is smart. Getting in right is what we do.

#1
Fastest growing major economy globally in 2024–25 at 6.4% GDP growth
$3.9T
Economy size today. On track to become the third largest economy by 2030
1.4B
Consumers. The world's largest middle class is forming right now
542+
Active sea and air freight gateways connecting India to 190+ countries
₹11L Cr
Government infrastructure spend — highways, ports, and logistics parks under expansion
40 yrs
Quick Silver has operated in India's trade corridors through every policy cycle

The Regulations Are Real. They Are Also Manageable — If You Know Them.

India is not a difficult market. It is an unfamiliar one. Foreign companies consistently underestimate the difference between these two things.

01

Customs Classification & HS Codes

India's customs tariff runs to thousands of entries. A misclassified HS code means your cargo sits at the port for days or weeks. Duty rates differ significantly between sub-headings — and re-assessment after the fact can cost more than the goods.

Pre-shipment HS code verification and duty calculation on every consignment before it leaves origin.
02

BIS, FSSAI, and Sector Certifications

Electronics, food, pharma, toys, medical devices, footwear — India requires Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or FSSAI (food) certification before goods enter the market. Many first-time importers discover this at the port of entry, not before departure.

Pre-arrival certification audits. We identify what licences your product category needs before origin loading.
03

GST on Imports and ITC Claims

India's Integrated GST (IGST) applies to imports. Reclaiming Input Tax Credits requires a compliant import entry (Bill of Entry), correctly matched invoices, and registration under the GST system. Errors delay refunds by months.

We prepare and file your Bill of Entry correctly and coordinate your IGST credit cycle from the first shipment.
04

RBI & FEMA: Foreign Exchange Rules

Every import payment from India must comply with the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Advance remittances above certain thresholds require banking certificates. Delays or wrong documentation can freeze your payment and your shipment simultaneously.

Documentation checklists for every remittance type — advance payment, DP, LC, or open account.
05

Port & Airport Cutoffs and ICD Routing

India's major ports — Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Chennai — each have distinct cutoff schedules, container detention norms, and CFS (Container Freight Station) charges that vary. First-time shippers consistently incur avoidable demurrage by not knowing these operational specifics.

Port-specific cutoff calendars, CFS tie-ups, and pre-advice to your consignee at every gateway.

Your Paperwork Is Correct. So Why Is the Cargo Stuck?

This is the most common and most expensive surprise for first-time shippers into India. The documents were prepared carefully. The procedures match everything done successfully in Europe, South-East Asia, or the Middle East. And yet the shipment is sitting in a bonded warehouse generating demurrage.

The answer is almost never wrong paperwork. It is the right paperwork, prepared for the wrong country. India's regulatory system is not broken — it is simply structured differently from most other markets, and that difference is invisible until the cargo is already in the air or on the water.

The Five Most Common Reasons Compliant Cargo Gets Stuck

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Wrong invoice format for Indian customs. India's customs requires the invoice to state specific fields — country of origin at line-item level, Incoterms 2020 designation, and importer IEC number. A standard commercial invoice from Europe or the US looks complete but is missing these fields. Result: detention notice and demand for revised documents from origin.
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HS code that maps differently under India's tariff schedule. The 8-digit HS code used in the exporting country may map to a completely different duty rate or restricted classification under India's ITC(HS). The product description that passed through Rotterdam clears nothing at Nhava Sheva.
🏛️
Missing mandatory licence or certificate. The shipment is legally exported. But the receiving country — India — requires a BIS registration, FSSAI import licence, CITES permit, or SCOMET clearance that was never applied for. The cargo cannot be released until the licence exists, which can take weeks or months.
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Packaging and marking non-compliance. India mandates Legal Metrology Act compliance for all retail or commercial goods — net weight, importer's name and address, and MRP must be printed on the outer packaging before the goods enter India. Cargo is held until compliant stickers are affixed under customs supervision, at your cost.
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Advance payment without a supporting bank certificate. Under FEMA, if payment was made in advance at a value above $10,000, an Advance Remittance Certificate from the importer's bank is mandatory. Without it, the Bill of Entry is flagged and the importer cannot take delivery.

The Regulators You Need to Know Before Your Cargo Lands

India's borders are managed by many agencies simultaneously. Each has its own rules, timelines, and consequences for non-compliance. Missing any one of them can stop your entire shipment.

DGFT

Directorate General of Foreign Trade — Import Licensing

The DGFT controls which goods can be freely imported ("Free"), which require a licence ("Restricted"), and which are outright prohibited. Many categories that are freely tradeable globally — second-hand goods, certain chemicals, agricultural items, some electronics — require an advance import licence from the DGFT before the goods can clear customs. Arriving without this licence means the cargo is either seized or returned at origin at your freight cost.

DGFT IEC registration, restricted item screening, and advance import licence applications handled before your cargo moves.
DGCA

Directorate General of Civil Aviation — Aviation Parts & Equipment

Any aircraft component, maintenance part, avionics equipment, or aviation tool entering India requires DGCA approval even if it carries full FAA or EASA certification. India does not automatically accept foreign airworthiness certificates. Parts entering without DGCA clearance are held at the airport cargo terminal indefinitely.

DGCA documentation coordination and importer-of-record advisory for all aviation cargo routed through Indian airports.
DOT

Department of Telecommunications — Wireless & Radio Equipment

India's Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing (WPC) under DoT requires type approval for all wireless devices — Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth equipment, drones, walkie-talkies, and all radio frequency equipment. Importing such goods without WPC approval is a criminal offence under India's Wireless Telegraphy Act. Devices are seized at port and the importer faces prosecution.

WPC type approval status verification and import advisory before origin loading — especially critical for tech and consumer electronics shipments.
CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — Wildlife & Derivatives

India is a CITES signatory with strict enforcement. Products containing any wood from restricted species (rosewood, agarwood), animal derivatives, shells, feathers, hides, or natural corals require CITES export and import permits from both the origin country and India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Interior goods, musical instruments, and luxury items are the most frequent surprise offenders. Goods are confiscated, not returned.

Product material audit for CITES-listed species in furniture, instruments, fashion, décor, and pharma before shipping.
PQ

PhytoSanitary / Plant Quarantine — Agricultural, Food, and Wood Products

All plants, plant products, seeds, soil, and wood packaging entering India must be accompanied by a PhytoSanitary Certificate issued by the agriculture authority at origin. India's Plant Quarantine Order 2003 further mandates treatment of all wooden pallets and dunnage to ISPM 15 standard. Non-compliant packaging triggers destruction of the packaging and fumigation of the cargo — at the importer's cost, with the cargo detained during the process.

ISPM 15 packaging compliance guidance at origin and PhytoSanitary Certificate advisory for all food, seed, and agricultural consignments.
FSSAI

Food Safety & Standards Authority of India — Food Imports

Every food, beverage, dietary supplement, confectionery, or ingredient entering India requires prior FSSAI import clearance. Products must be tested by FSSAI-approved laboratories at the port of entry. Labelling must comply with Indian Food Safety Standards for language, font size, and mandatory declarations. Products with non-compliant labels are destroyed — not returned. FSSAI registration for the importer is mandatory before the first shipment arrives.

FSSAI importer registration, label compliance review, and port-of-entry laboratory liaison for all food and beverage shipments.
MoD

Ministry of Defence — Dual-Use and Defence Items

India's Ministry of Defence controls the import of goods with potential military applications. Night-vision equipment, certain navigation systems, drones above specified parameters, encrypted communications, ballistic materials, and many precision engineering goods require a No Objection Certificate from MoD. The application process involves multiple ministries and can take months. Items detained at Indian borders for MoD non-compliance are not released without full Ministry review.

Dual-use technology screening and MoD NOC advisory with inter-ministerial liaison support.
SCOMET

Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment & Technologies — India's Export Control List

SCOMET is India's strategic trade control regime, governing the import and export of items with potential weapons of mass destruction applications — advanced materials, certain chemicals, biological agents, space technology, missile-related components, and nuclear-related equipment. Importing SCOMET-listed items without specific DGFT authorisation is a violation of India's Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act. There is no administrative resolution — violations result in cargo seizure and prosecution of the importer.

SCOMET classification screening of technical goods, chemicals, and advanced materials before shipment origin — preventing the most serious category of import violation.
BIS

Bureau of Indian Standards — Product Safety Registration

BIS registration is mandatory for over 300 product categories sold in India — electronics, electrical goods, LED lighting, cement, steel, toys, helmets, packaged water, and more. A product cannot be sold or even stored in India without the ISI or CRS (Compulsory Registration Scheme) mark. Importers frequently bring goods into India and only discover at the point of market entry that every item must be re-exported or destroyed. BIS registration at origin can take 3–9 months, requires Indian laboratory testing, and must be held in the Indian importer's name.

BIS mandatory category check for all product lines before purchase orders are placed at origin. Registration facilitation and Indian lab liaison included.

You Bring the Business. We Handle the Entry.

40 years of Indian trade experience means we have seen every regulation change, every customs notice, and every port bottleneck. Your first shipment into India will not be a lesson — it will be a success.

Talk to Our India Desk
Gate bot
"Regulations don't block the right cargo. They only block the wrong paperwork."
- Gate