Logistics services in India.

India logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in India use sea, air, rail and road to move freight. Containerized cargo moves through seaports on a coastline of about 7,000 km, with 56 ports and 18 oil terminals handling a mix of refined petroleum, packaged medicine, diamonds, garments, crude petroleum and coal.

Rail moves freight on about 65,600 km of track and carries about 720 billion tonne-km, supporting port and inland movements. Air freight is supported by 315 airports in total and 106 with scheduled service, linking to key export and import partners such as the USA, UAE, China and Russia.

Freight forwarders in India handle flows through major ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Shiva), Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kattupalli, Kochi, New Mangalore and Vishakhapatnam. Forwarders often coordinate with shipping lines that have offices in Indian cities, including MSC, ANL, CMA CGM, ONE, Evergreen, Maersk, PIL, RCL, Wan Hai Lines, Yang Ming, Hapag-Lloyd and HMM.

India’s overall Logistics Performance Index score of 3.4 sits above the world median of 2.7, but the customs component is 3.0 against a 2.6 median. When selecting freight forwarders in India, shippers can compare how providers manage customs clearance, documentation quality and transit times to top partners such as the USA, UAE, China and Germany, and how they use memberships in ASEAN and SAARC markets for regional routings.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to India is anchored by container throughput of about 24 million TEU, ranked 7th of 168 countries worldwide and 1st of 4 in South Asia. Liner shipping connectivity stands at about 58.9, ranking 26th of 169 globally and 2nd of 4 in the region. Major container gateways include Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Shiva) on the west coast, and Chennai, Kattupalli, Kochi, New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam and Calcutta on the east and south coasts.

Among the largest ports, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port all have rail access, with berth depths from about 9 m to 16.5 m, while Kattupalli reaches about 14 m. Shipping lines with offices in India include MSC, ANL, CMA CGM, ONE, Evergreen, Maersk, PIL, RCL, Wan Hai Lines, Yang Ming, Hapag-Lloyd and HMM, supporting both FCL and LCL bookings. Observed FCL all-in rates for a 20ST in October 2026 from Mundra show medians of about 5,000 USD to Barcelona, 5,500 USD to Genova, 4,200 USD to Antwerpen, 7,600 USD to Buenos Aires and 3,400 USD to Mombasa, with wide ranges depending on service and space.

Air freight in India is supported by about 1,800 million tonne-km of air cargo and 106 airports with scheduled service. Total airports number about 315, giving broad domestic and international coverage for time-sensitive shipments.

Main scheduled airports listed include Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport (Vizag) (VTZ), Bagdogra (IXB), Biju Patnaik International (BBI), Bir Tikendrajit International (IMF) and Calicut International (CCJ). Air freight in India is well suited to higher-value exports such as packaged medicine, diamonds and broadcasting equipment, and for imports like integrated circuits, especially on lanes to partners such as the USA, UAE, China and Germany.

Rail and road freight in India connects inland production to ports and neighboring countries. The rail network totals about 65,600 km and supports about 720 billion tonne-km of freight, which underpins inland moves to seaports such as Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Shiva), Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and others.

India shares land borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal and Pakistan, totaling several thousand kilometers. These borders support cross-border road and rail trade with South Asian peers such as Bangladesh and Nepal, and complement seaborne trade routed through Indian ports for regional and long-haul movements.

Customs clearance in India operates within global and regional trade frameworks. The country has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 1971-02-15 and participates in the World Trade Organization, as well as regional groupings such as ASEAN and SAARC.

The average applied tariff is 4.59 percent, and India’s Logistics Performance Index customs score is 3.0 compared with a world median of 2.6. Overall LPI is 3.4, and reported border compliance times are about 3 days for both exports and imports. For shipments to and from India, shippers should prepare at minimum a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document, and coordinate closely with their forwarder or broker to match local customs practices.