Shipping Abroad for Small Indian Businesses and Online Sellers

The problem you are solving

You have customers abroad. You can courier anywhere in India in a day. Sending one parcel to Dubai or London means a carrier account, an export declaration, a commercial invoice, KYC, and a support burden the first time something goes missing. For a handful of orders a month it is not worth building, so most sellers turn the orders away.

How to use forwarding as a seller

Two shapes work. Either your overseas customer opens their own account and you courier domestically to their suite — you never touch the export at all — or you hold an account yourself, send stock in, and forward individual orders out as they sell. The first is simpler and the customer controls the freight; the second lets you quote a delivered price.

Consolidation for stock

If you are supplying a stockist or a market stall abroad, sending a month of production as one box rather than as it is made is the difference between a viable margin and none. Storage is free for the first 30 days, so accumulate, then ship once.

Paperwork you should get right

Commercial shipments are declared at their real value with a description customs will recognise. If you sell regularly, keep a simple invoice per order — it makes every subsequent shipment quicker.

What you cannot send

The usual list applies regardless of who is sending: no gold or precious stones, no currency, no aerosols or flammables, nothing with a battery. Ayurvedic preparations, cosmetics and food are legal to export but restricted on arrival in many countries, so check the destination before you promise a customer a delivery date.