Ocean & Air Freight Shipping From India to Indonesia

India and Indonesia have set themselves a bold bilateral trade target—$50 billion a year by 2025. A recent deal struck to export rice and sugar from India to Indonesia will go a long way to helping reach that target. Your business could also contribute to the growth of trade between the two countries.

To make importing from India to Indonesia easier, this page gives you the information you need to ship commodities more successfully. It includes details of ports and airports, shipping durations, and the documentation required to secure customs clearance.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight From India to Indonesia?

Shipa freight shipping from India to indonesia with the flags from both countries

Ocean and air shipping from India to Indonesia are the only logical options you have as an importer or exporter. There are advantages and disadvantages to both modes of transportation, which we’ll outline on this page, giving you the information you need to decide which is best for you.

Ocean Freight From India to Indonesia

Less than Container Load (LCL): This stands for less-than-container-load and requires your goods to share container space with products from other businesses.

Full Container Load (FCL): FCL shipping gives you exclusive use of a container for your freight from India to Indonesia. You can seal your container before transporting it to your chosen destination in India. It will remain unopened until it arrives in Indonesia. FCL is usually the fastest form of ocean shipping and can be the cheapest too.

Air Freight from India to Indonesia

The quickest way to move goods from India to Indonesia is with an air-freight carrier. Air freight from India to Indonesia can take as little as three days, making it ideal for urgent deliveries, but it is the most expensive mode of shipping.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From India to Indonesia?

Every consignment is different—so every quote a freight forwarder provides for shipping from India to Indonesia will be different too. The price you are quoted will depend on the following variables:

• The type of goods being shipped
• Whether you choose an ocean or air carrier for your shipping
• The weight, dimensions, and volume of your consignment
• If you require door-to-door, port-to-port, port-to-door, or door-to-port deliveries

Not sure if air or ocean shipping is best for your business? Here are some questions you might be asking:

Q: What if my goods weigh less than 100kg? A: Air freight will often be just as economical as ocean shipping.

Q: What if my delivery is urgent? A: Air freight is the quickest way to ship freight from India to Indonesia.

Q: What if my goods weigh more than 100kg? A: Air freight is expensive for heavier consignments, so ocean shipping can often be more cost-effective.

Q: What if my goods weigh less than 35kg? A: Shipa Freight does not quote for consignments that weigh less than 35kg. You should try a parcel carrier or international courier service instead.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From India to Indonesia?

Air-freight shipments between India and Indonesia can be completed in as little as three days—from Mumbai to Surabaya or Chennai to Jakarta, for example. Ocean shipping is a slower process, typically taking between 15 and 31 days.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea From India to Indonesia?

See below for examples of the time typically taken to ship freight in a container from India to Indonesia:

• Chennai to Jakarta – 16 days FCL
• Nhava Sheva to Jakarta – 16 days FCL, 23 days LCL
• Nhava Sheva to Belawan, Sumatra – 16 days FCL
• Nhava Sheva or Mundra to Surabaya – 17 days FCL
• Chennai to Surabaya or Belawan, Sumatra – 18 days FCL
• Kolkata to Jakarta - 22 days FCL
• Krishnapatnam to Surabaya - 18 days FCL
• Cochin to Jakarta - 15 days FCL
• Mundra to Jakarta - 18 days FCL
• Pipavav to Semarang, Surabaya, Jakarta, or Belawan, Sumatra - 31 days FCL

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air From India to Indonesia?

Air shipping is ideal for urgent deliveries of smaller consignments of freight from India to Indonesia. Here are some examples of typical air freight transit times:

• Mumbai to Jakarta – 6 days
• Chennai or Bangalore to Jakarta – 3 days
• Chennai or Delhi to Surabaya – 8 days
• Delhi to Jakarta – 5 days
• Mumbai to Surabaya – 3 days
• Ahmedabad to Jakarta - 7 days
• Ahmedabad to Surabaya - 5 days

Customs Clearance Procedures in India and Indonesia

International ocean and air shipping from India to Indonesia can seem complicated with so many regulations to follow and papers to complete. For that reason, many shippers choose to get assistance from a freight forwarder.

The best forwarders will advise shippers on the paperwork their consignment requires. They can also minimize the risk of unnecessary delays to a shipment, and assure compliance with rules and regulations that apply to shipping in both India and Indonesia.

Your forwarder will request that you complete various documents to accompany your shipment, almost certainly including the following:

1. Commercial Invoice
2. Packing List
3. Certificate of Origin
4. Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)
5. Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight will provide this for you)

We have collated examples of these on this documents list page so you can take a closer look. Please note that you may be required to submit additional documents with your consignment. These could include a permit, certificate, or license.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight

If ocean shipping meets the demands of your supply chain, a cargo vessel will transport your goods in a shipping container from India to Indonesia. Your goods will likely ship from port to port on pallets in a 20ft or 40ft standard container, although other options exist, such as:

• Ventilated containers for consignments that need air circulation
• Tank containers for gases and liquids
• Open top containers for extra tall cargo
• Flatback containers for awkwardly shaped freight
• Refrigerated containers for cargo that needs to be stored at a low temperature

There are two ways to send your freight in a shipping container from India to Indonesia—FCL or LCL. FCL gives your business exclusive use of a container for your goods. LCL will require your products to share container-space with other shippers’ goods. Your freight forwarder should help you decide which is best for your sea freight. The information that follows will also help you make an informed decision:

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

Less-than-container-load shipping could be the right choice for you if any of the following conditions apply:

• Your consignment is a maximum of 14 cubic meters (equal to six standard pallets) in volume
• Your goods are not urgently needed in Indonesia
• Your freight can be safely shipped inside the same container as other products
• Air freight is not a feasible option for your business

It could be worth avoiding LCL ocean shipping if your consignment is:

• Fragile or perishable (such as flowers, plants, or food)
• Likely to be adversely affected or even damaged by frequent moving or handling
• Expected in Indonesia by a specific date
• Not suited to sharing a shipping container

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

FCL is likely to be best for your goods if:

They must be in Indonesia by a certain date Their total volume is greater than half the load capacity of a standard 20ft container They are unsuitable for transport in a shared container You can load and seal your container in India and want the container to remain sealed throughout shipping

Air Freight

Air shipping offers the fastest way to export from India to Indonesia. It’s usually the best option if:

Your cargo has a short shelf-life and needs to be transported to Indonesia quickly
You have a relatively small consignment to ship—no more than three pallets Your consignment is valuable and requires the robust security practices of airports and airlines Your supplier and consignee are based nearer to an international airport than a seaport (helping to save on overland transportation costs)

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in India

Chennai

Port Facts:

• Located in the Bay of Bengal in Southeastern India
• One of the ports in India that’s closest to Indonesia

Owned By: Chennai Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMAA.

Hazira

Port Facts:

• A privately-run deepwater sea freight facility
• Easily reached by road or railroad from Surat, Karjan, Kosamba, and Bharuch
• A good alternative to the busier port of Mumbai to the south

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >300,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INHZA.

Mundra

Port Facts:

• A privately-owned cargo hub in Gujarat, Western India
• One of the world’s 50 busiest container ports
• Four container terminals are ready to process goods for export or import from India to Indonesia
• Ideal port if your supply chain moves goods through Bhuj, Mundra, Rajkot, or Pakistan

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMUN.

Kolkata

Port Facts:

• A popular river port more than 200 kilometers inland from the Bay of Bengal
• Was India’s third-busiest port for containerized goods in 2018-2019
• Ideal if your supplier or manufacturer is in Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Bhadrak, or Bangladesh
• Has 86 wharves and 28 berths where your import or export from India to Indonesia can be loaded

Owned By: Kolkata Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >825,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INCCU.

Nhava Sheva

Port Facts:

• Located in Northwestern India
• Became the first port in India to exceed the 5 million TEUs per year mark in 2019

Owned By: Government of India.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INNSA.

Other Ports of Origin in India

As an alternative to the ports mentioned above, your freight forwarder should be able to organize shipping from India to Indonesia from the following container gateways:

• Ahmedabad
• Visakhapatnam
• Kattupalli
• Pipavav
• Haldia
• Krishnapatnam
• Tuticorin
• Mormugao

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Indonesia

Surabaya

Port Facts:

• This seaport is officially called Tanjung Perak
• It’s a major hub for inter-island shipping across Indonesia

Owned By: PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II.

Annual Container Volume: >3.8 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDSUB.

Jakarta

Port Facts:

• This port serves the Indonesian capital city
• Over 50% of all containerized goods leaving or entering Indonesia are processed here
• The port is sometimes referred to by its full name which is Cabang Tanjung Priok
• The facility features three container terminals and 600,000 square meters of warehousing

Owned By: PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II.

Annual Container Volume: >8 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDJKT.

Semarang

Port Facts:

• This is Indonesia’s third-largest port for freight
• It’s also known as Tanjung Emas
• The port is just five kilometers from Tugu Muda city center
• It’s an ideal port of arrival if your goods need to be delivered to Salatiga, Demak, Kendal, and other areas of Northern Java

Owned By: PT Pelabuhan III Indonesia.

Annual Container Volume: >730,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDSRG.

Belawan Sumatra

Port Facts:

• Located in northwestern Sumatra
• This port is Indonesia’s busiest for container throughput outside of Java

Owned By: Pelni.

Annual Container Volume: >400,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: IDBLW.

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide

Airports of Origin in India

####Delhi

Airport Facts:

• This airport is the largest air cargo gateway in South Asia
• It’s located 16 kilometers from New Delhi city center
• Shipping to Jakarta typically takes five days
• The airport has a state-of-the-art logistics center and two cargo terminals on its 2,000-hectare site

Indonesia Airports Served: None.

Delhi to Indonesia Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: DEL.

Chennai

Airport Facts:

• Located in Meenambakkam, 21 kilometers from Chennai city center
• Its export facilities cover over 16,300 square meters
• Infrastructure includes specialist perishable goods facilities—ideal if you are sending fruit, vegetables, plants, or flowers to Indonesia

Indonesia Airports Served: Jakarta, Denpasar Bali.

Chennai to Indonesia Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: MAA.

Ahmedabad

Airport Facts:

• This facility is officially called Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
• It’s located in Northwestern India, close to the border with Pakistan
• No direct flights operate from this airport to Indonesia

Indonesia Airports Served: None.

Ahmedabad to Indonesia Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: AMD.

Mumbai

Airport Facts:

• An airport in Western India with dedicated perishable and fragile cargo-handling facilities
• Processes about 900,000 tonnes of air cargo every year
• It’s the closest major air cargo facility to Pune, Nashik, and Mumbai city.

Indonesia Airports Served: None.

Mumbai to Indonesia Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: BOM.

Kolkata

Airport Facts:

• Kolkata Airport’s full name is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport
• Located in Dum Dum, West Bengal
• The largest air-freight facility in North East India.
• Won the award for ‘Best Improved Airport in the Asia/Pacific Region’ in 2015

Indonesia Airports Served: None.

Kolkata to Indonesia Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: CCU.

In addition to the cargo airports detailed above, Your goods bound for Indonesia can also be flown from Bangalore, Cochin, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore.

Airports of Arrival in Indonesia

Jakarta

Airport Facts:

• Serves the Indonesian capital city which is 20 kilometers southeast of the airport
• The airport’s full name is Soekarno Hatta International Airport (often shortened to SHIA)
• The air cargo hub recently expanded its flight-handling capabilities with the opening of a new, third runway in late 2019

Connected Airports in India: Chennai.

India to Jakarta Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: CGK.

Surabaya

Airport Facts:

• This is Indonesia’s third-busiest air freight center
• It’s situated 12 kilometers from the city of Surabaya in Eastern Java
• Cargo teams handle 120,000 tonnes of freight annually

Connected Airports in India: None.

India to Surabaya Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: SUB.

Denpasar Bali

Airport Facts:

• The airport’s full name is Ngurah Rai International Airport
• Indonesia’s second-busiest air freight hub
• International shippers benefit from easy onward distribution of goods from here to Jimbaran, Bali city center, and Kuta

Connected Airports in India: Chennai.

India to Denpasar Bali Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA Code: DPS.

Why Ship From India to Indonesia With Shipa Freight?

Shipa Freight is a digital-first international shipping platform, bringing simplicity to ocean and air shipping from India to Indonesia. Our freight forwarding services are delivered in conjunction with our parent company Agility Logistics, making us world leaders.

Whatever the size of your business, you can trust us to safely ship goods for import from India to Indonesia by air or sea with no fuss. We’ll also bring your business the following benefits:

• Quick shipping quotes
• Simple online registration, bookings, and payments
• Easy-to-understand information about the paperwork your consignment requires
• Efficient management of customs clearance processes
• The ability to manage all your import and export logistics on the same website
• Help when you need it from our friendly customer service team—available around the clock
• Assurance that your export from India to Indonesia complies with relevant rules and regulations