Importing from India to Australia is big business, with incoming trade from India worth an estimated AU$ 4.9 billion per year (figure from 2018-9). Perhaps you’re reading this because you are interested in having a slice of the cake? Allow TSL to advise you on how to import from India – we offer professional and reliable services in air freight and sea freight import from India to Australia. Our provision includes all parts of the logistics package from warehousing to heavy haulage and from customs clearance to distribution.

Indian Imports Into Australia
India is home to a number of well-known crude oil firms such as Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Indeed, the main product Australia imports from India is refined petroleum. Australia has also imported a high number of Metro coaches from India in recent years, coming from a manufacturing facility in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh. Pharma products are the third largest Indian export arriving in Australia at the time of writing, with India the main supplier of generic drugs worldwide. It’s not all huge global companies though – India is a thriving tech startup hub, meaning it’s a great country for smaller businesses to do business with, too.

Thinking About Importing From India?
If you’re interested in drawing up a plan of how to import from India, here are four broad steps to start you off on your journey:
1. Gather information: Find out everything you can about the items you wish to import and check there is a current market for them in Australia
2. Locate suppliers: Explore Indian manufacturers of the goods you are hoping to bring into Australia, make offers and find a deal
3. Market your goods: Locate outlets within Australia where you can sell on the produce you plan to import
4. Organise shipping: Use a freight forwarding service such as TSL to organise your import operation. A good logistics firm will help you make all the important decisions such as whether to choose sea or air freight import from India to Australia, and arrange for all the necessary paperwork to be completed on your behalf.

Sea Freight Import From India To Australia

When you’re deciding how to import from India, you’ll need to think about which mode of transportation makes more sense for your business’s needs. Ocean transit is a great option if you’re not limited for time – it takes between 24 and 32 days to carry merchandise to Australia from South Asia by boat transport. Sea freight import from India to Australia is often the better option for goods that are bulky, heavy or oversize, and is generally cheaper than air transportation.

Air Freight Import From India To Australia

There are at least 5,500km of sea between India and Australia, and the quickest way to cover this distance is by freight plane. Air freight import from India to Australia will take between one and six days depending on whether there are direct flights at the time you need your consignment to be sent. Because cargo aircraft are more expensive to hire than ships, air freight will usually be more costly to organise than ocean travel.

Quick Tips For Doing Business In India

Business culture in India is similar to that of Australia in many ways, but there are also a few differences to bear in mind. Here are some tips to get you started:

• When greeting associates in India, some Indians may say ‘Namaste’ while gently pressing their palms together and bowing their head. This will sometimes replace the traditional handshake, although this may also still be used
• English is widely spoken in India, but it’s always courteous to check first
• There is significant cultural diversity within India. Society is multi-ethnic and multi-lingual with huge differences between the north and the south of the country. It’s useful to bear this in mind when liaising with associates throughout the country
• Indians use ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ to address colleagues, and sometimes ‘Madam’ and ‘Sir’. The suffix ‘Ji’ is also sometimes added to the end of a name. This is an indicator of respect
• It is more common for meetings to begin and end late and for disruptions to occur in India than in Western cultures

Here at TSL we look forward to assisting you with your Indian imports – please get in touch to find out more about our services.