Small and medium-sized businesses are driving a steady rise in imports from India, with demand spanning groceries, textiles, machinery and healthcare supplies. For businesses looking to import goods from India to Australia, freight costs, transit times and customs clearance remain key considerations.
Austral-Asia Freight, a Melbourne freight forwarder and licensed customs broker operating since 1996, works with Australian importers across a wide range of sectors and shipment sizes.
“We work with a very broad range of clients, and grocery items are certainly right up there — along with textiles, leather goods (saddlery, horse rugs, pet accessories), industrial machinery, spare parts and healthcare supplies,” says Managing Director Jeff Harrod. “Pretty much whatever India exports, we have a customer for it.”
Trade between Australia and India has expanded steadily in recent years, supported by the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which has reduced tariffs across categories including textiles, pharmaceuticals, machinery and processed foods. Imports from India now cover everything from spices and packaged groceries to clothing, home textiles and light industrial equipment.
For many businesses, especially independent retailers and wholesalers, importing spices, groceries and textiles from India has become a practical entry point. These shipments are often smaller in volume, which makes choosing the right shipping method critical.
Shipping from India to Australia typically involves either airfreight or less than container load sea freight. Airfreight is suited to urgent or high-value goods and is charged by weight or volumetric weight. LCL shipping from India to Australia allows businesses to move smaller volumes and pay only for the space used within a shared container.
Austral-Asia Freight runs weekly LCL shipping services from Mumbai to Australia and keeps cargo in the same container for the full journey.
“Other forwarders often unpack containers in Singapore. Our cargo stays untouched all the way to Australia,” Mr Harrod says. “That means less handling, lower risk of damage or delay, and faster overall transit times.”
There are still no direct shipping routes from India to Australia, with most cargo transhipped through Singapore or Port Klang. Transit times are generally around 30 days.
“One day there will be direct sailings from India to Australia which will shorten transit times and that will be good for business,” Mr Harrod says. “For now we have to settle on the transhipment service and the transit time should be around 30 days.”
Beyond shipping, customs clearance in Australia remains a key part of the import process. Businesses must ensure correct documentation, tariff classification and compliance with biosecurity requirements, particularly when importing food products, leather goods or plant-based materials.
Austral-Asia Freight manages these steps locally, including order monitoring, booking, documentation, customs clearance and final delivery across Australia.
“Many Forwarders and Customs Brokers are now using offshoring services to handle and process their documents, arrange deliveries and even sales generation,” Mr Harrod says.
“One of the biggest risks to businesses in today’s world is data and intellectual property theft. If your competitors or an offshore company gain access to your company or your suppliers data, the results can be devastating to your business,” he says.
“As a Freight Forwarder and Customs Broker we are privy to your confidential information. You can be comfortable in the knowledge that at AAF, all our work is carried out in Australia by our own staff.”
“We won’t compromise our service or your information and we won’t offshore our responsibilities!”
Founded in 1996, the company continues to support businesses importing goods from India to Australia, with a focus on consistency and local service.
“Having highly skilled and experienced staff is the key to our consistent and reliable service,” Mr Harrod says.
“If you decide to work with us you will be working with good local people who know what they are doing. Service counts!”
Melbourne Head Office
Austral-Asia Freight Pty Ltd
7D Kent Street
Yarraville VIC 3013
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