Find Freight, Shipping and Logistics expertise in India

Freight and shipping of goods and cargo takes place to, from and within India via air, water and land. About two thirds of freight in the country is carried through the roads. There are more than 15,000 mainly small companies in this sector. Larger trucking companies tend to outsource some of their operations to smaller companies. The entire freight, logistics and shipping industry is worth US$90 billion in revenues (2010).

The extensive shipping industry in the country utilises the 13 major ports and 187 notified minor and intermediate ports. Of the major ports, 12 are government owned whilst one (Ennore Port) is a private operation, although private-sector in all ports has increased. Between them they handle more than 560 million tonnes of the country’s cargo (2010).

Amongst the major ports the Port of Mumbai has traditionally been an important gateway to the Indian economy. It has a total area of 46.3 hectares, total quay length of 7.8 thousand meters and 63 anchorage points. Chennai is the second principal port for handling containers, with 21 alongside berths, depths varying from 7.92 meters to 11 meters. It offers extensive storage facilities in its warehouses, transit sheds, covered area and container freight stations.

The country also has a well-developed air transportation network serviced by over 20 international airports and various national airports, many of which have airlines offering airfreight services. Government-run Indian Railways has a monopoly in the rail freight industry.

In 2010 imports of goods to India were valued at €262.2 billion, whilst exports of goods were €166.6 billion. The major export partners are the European Union, China and the United Arab Emirates, with shares of 12.2%, 11.9% and 8.9% respectively (2010). In the same year the import market was similarly led by the European Union, with a share of 18.8%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13.4% and the United States with 10.7%.

The World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (2012) gave India a score of 2.87 out of 5 in relation to infrastructure, compared to the average of 2.39 for South Asian nations and 2.37 for lower middle income countries, placing it 56^th out of 155 countries.

India’s freight and shipping industry is made up of intermediaries such as freight forwarders, customs house agents, multi modal transporters, and inland container depots and container freight stations. Large international courier services, such as UPS and DHL, operate in the country alongside smaller, local firms. The major global consultancy firms also operate in the field of logistics and transportation, including Deloitte, PwC and Accenture.

The World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (2012) placed India 46^th overall out of 155 countries, with a score of 3.08, 66.4% of the highest performer, Singapore. The comparative strength of the sector in India was reflected in these categories. In relation to customs (52^nd), international shipments (54^th), logistics competence (38^th), tracking and tracing (54^th) and timeliness (44^th), India scored comfortably above the average for both South Asian nations and its income group, lower middle income.

The Ministry of Shipping administers the country’s ports, whilst infrastructural development is overseen by the Ministry of Transport and Highways.