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Section 06

Importing into India

Seven setup steps, duty and licences for the goods small importers bring in most, where India buys them from, and how to pay a supplier abroad safely.

India’s imports, 2025-26
US$ 775.7 bn
Change from 2024-25
+7.6%
Import guides
76

Start importing

Seven steps before your first container

Do them in order. Most are online; the licences for your product take the longest.

Start at step one →
  1. 01Get your IEC (and GST registration)

    No business can import into India without an Importer-Exporter Code from DGFT. It costs ₹500 and is issued online.

  2. 02Register on ICEGATE

    ICEGATE is Customs’ online portal. Registering your IEC there lets you see your bills of entry, pay duty online and upload documents.

  3. 03Check the import policy and duty for your HS code

    Find the 8-digit HS code, then check DGFT’s ITC(HS) Schedule 1 for the policy and CBIC/ICEGATE for the duty — before you agree a price.

  4. 04Get the product licences before you order

    BIS, FSSAI, plant quarantine, CDSCO, WPC, Legal Metrology and EPR registrations must be in place before the goods leave the supplier.

  5. 05Check the supplier and sign a clear contract

    Verify the supplier, test a sample, fix the Incoterm, and write specifications, inspection and documents into the purchase order.

  6. 06Pay the supplier through your AD bank

    Import payments go through an Authorised Dealer bank under RBI’s 2026 regulations. The bank tracks every bill of entry until it is paid.

  7. 07Clear the goods: bill of entry to out of charge

    File the bill of entry, let Customs assess it, pay duty online, get out of charge, then claim the IGST as input credit.

Goods

What small importers bring in

Each guide gives the HS code, the duty you pay, the licences you need, anti-dumping duties, and where India buys it from.

See all →

Food and farm goods

Raw materials

Electronics and solar

Machinery and parts

Consumer goods

Where India buys from

US$ 775.7 bn of imports, from across the world

Imports in 2025-26. The thicker the route, the more India buys there. Tap a country.

China: US$ 131.6 bnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 63.9 bnRussia: US$ 55.4 bnUnited States of America: US$ 53.5 bnSaudi Arabia: US$ 30.8 bnIraq: US$ 24.6 bnHong Kong: US$ 24.3 bnSwitzerland: US$ 24.3 bnSingapore: US$ 24.2 bnJapan: US$ 21.4 bnSouth Korea: US$ 21.4 bnIndonesia: US$ 20.3 bnGermany: US$ 19.5 bnThailand: US$ 16.4 bnMalaysia: US$ 14.2 bnAustralia: US$ 13.8 bnQatar: US$ 12.3 bnUnited Kingdom: US$ 11.7 bnVietnam: US$ 11.6 bnTaiwan: US$ 8.88 bnPeru: US$ 8.87 bnFrance: US$ 8.67 bnSouth Africa: US$ 8.56 bnBrazil: US$ 8.05 bnKuwait: US$ 7.92 bnOman: US$ 7.17 bnGhana: US$ 6.68 bnItaly: US$ 6.63 bnBelgium: US$ 6.41 bnIreland: US$ 6.12 bnNigeria: US$ 5.9 bnNetherlands: US$ 5.76 bnChile: US$ 5.03 bnArgentina: US$ 4.96 bnTanzania: US$ 3.6 bnCanada: US$ 3.28 bnColombia: US$ 2.9 bnMorocco: US$ 2.9 bnEgypt: US$ 2.6 bnTürkiye: US$ 2.34 bnMozambique: US$ 2.29 bnSpain: US$ 2.23 bnMexico: US$ 2.11 bnSweden: US$ 1.97 bnNepal: US$ 1.94 bnJordan: US$ 1.88 bnBangladesh: US$ 1.78 bnIsrael: US$ 1.67 bnSri Lanka: US$ 1.66 bnPhilippines: US$ 1.57 bnPoland: US$ 1.25 bnMyanmar: US$ 1.15 bnAustria: US$ 1.04 bnDenmark: US$ 932 mnSenegal: US$ 914 mnBahrain: US$ 888 mnTogo: US$ 851 mnUkraine: US$ 851 mnBhutan: US$ 821 mnCzechia: US$ 814 mnNorway: US$ 635 mnCôte d’Ivoire: US$ 621 mnNew Zealand: US$ 589 mnIran: US$ 375 mnAlgeria: US$ 359 mnMaldives: US$ 313 mnKenya: US$ 296 mnRomania: US$ 251 mnEthiopia: US$ 249 mnGreece: US$ 212 mnPortugal: US$ 198 mnSudan: US$ 179 mnCambodia: US$ 127 mnBenin: US$ 113 mnYemen: US$ 106 mnMauritius: US$ 99 mnGeorgia: US$ 87 mnKazakhstan: US$ 81.7 mnDjibouti: US$ 21.4 mnUzbekistan: US$ 14.6 mnChina: US$ 131.6 bnChinaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 63.9 bnUnited Arab EmiratesRussia: US$ 55.4 bnRussiaUnited States of America: US$ 53.5 bnUnited States of AmericaSaudi Arabia: US$ 30.8 bnIraq: US$ 24.6 bnIraqHong Kong: US$ 24.3 bnHong KongSwitzerland: US$ 24.3 bnSwitzerlandSingapore: US$ 24.2 bnSingaporeJapan: US$ 21.4 bnSouth Korea: US$ 21.4 bnIndonesia: US$ 20.3 bnGermany: US$ 19.5 bnThailand: US$ 16.4 bnMalaysia: US$ 14.2 bnAustralia: US$ 13.8 bnQatar: US$ 12.3 bnUnited Kingdom: US$ 11.7 bnVietnam: US$ 11.6 bnTaiwan: US$ 8.88 bnPeru: US$ 8.87 bnFrance: US$ 8.67 bnSouth Africa: US$ 8.56 bnBrazil: US$ 8.05 bnKuwait: US$ 7.92 bnOman: US$ 7.17 bnGhana: US$ 6.68 bnItaly: US$ 6.63 bnBelgium: US$ 6.41 bnIreland: US$ 6.12 bnNigeria: US$ 5.9 bnNetherlands: US$ 5.76 bnChile: US$ 5.03 bnArgentina: US$ 4.96 bnTanzania: US$ 3.6 bnCanada: US$ 3.28 bnColombia: US$ 2.9 bnMorocco: US$ 2.9 bnEgypt: US$ 2.6 bnTürkiye: US$ 2.34 bnMozambique: US$ 2.29 bnSpain: US$ 2.23 bnMexico: US$ 2.11 bnSweden: US$ 1.97 bnNepal: US$ 1.94 bnJordan: US$ 1.88 bnBangladesh: US$ 1.78 bnIsrael: US$ 1.67 bnSri Lanka: US$ 1.66 bnPhilippines: US$ 1.57 bnPoland: US$ 1.25 bnMyanmar: US$ 1.15 bnAustria: US$ 1.04 bnDenmark: US$ 932 mnSenegal: US$ 914 mnBahrain: US$ 888 mnTogo: US$ 851 mnUkraine: US$ 851 mnBhutan: US$ 821 mnCzechia: US$ 814 mnNorway: US$ 635 mnCôte d’Ivoire: US$ 621 mnNew Zealand: US$ 589 mnIran: US$ 375 mnAlgeria: US$ 359 mnMaldives: US$ 313 mnKenya: US$ 296 mnRomania: US$ 251 mnEthiopia: US$ 249 mnGreece: US$ 212 mnPortugal: US$ 198 mnSudan: US$ 179 mnCambodia: US$ 127 mnBenin: US$ 113 mnYemen: US$ 106 mnMauritius: US$ 99 mnGeorgia: US$ 87 mnKazakhstan: US$ 81.7 mnDjibouti: US$ 21.4 mnUzbekistan: US$ 14.6 mnIndia
Source: TradeStat, Department of Commerce · 2025-26
  1. 01ChinaUS$ 131.6 bn
  2. 02United Arab EmiratesUS$ 63.9 bn
  3. 03RussiaUS$ 55.4 bn
  4. 04United States of AmericaUS$ 53.5 bn
  5. 05Saudi ArabiaUS$ 30.8 bn
  6. 06IraqUS$ 24.6 bn
  7. 07Hong KongUS$ 24.3 bn
  8. 08SwitzerlandUS$ 24.3 bn
  9. 09SingaporeUS$ 24.2 bn
  10. 10JapanUS$ 21.4 bn

Official figures

How much India imports of each

India’s imports in 2025-26 (TradeStat, Department of Commerce). Change is against 2024-25.

2020-21: US$ 394.4 bn394k2020-212021-22: US$ 613.1 bn613k2021-22n/a2022-23n/a2023-242024-25: US$ 721.2 bn721k2024-252025-26: US$ 775.7 bn776k2025-26
India’s merchandise imports · US$ million · years not fetched here
Name2025-26Change
1GoldUS$ 72 bn+24.1%
2Electronic components (chips, diodes, transistors)US$ 36.5 bn+20.3%
3CoalUS$ 26.7 bn-9.5%
4Edible oils (palm, soybean, sunflower)US$ 19.1 bn+11.9%
5Mobile phone partsUS$ 16.6 bn+9.2%
6Fertilisers (urea, DAP, NPK)US$ 12.6 bn+87.1%
7SilverUS$ 12.1 bn+149.6%
8Plastic granules (polymers in primary forms)US$ 11.6 bn-3.7%
9Rough diamondsUS$ 10.6 bn-0%
10Auto partsUS$ 6.97 bn+9.8%
11Laptops, tablets and computersUS$ 6.73 bn+9.7%
12Lithium-ion batteries and cellsUS$ 4.7 bn+56.2%
13Steel scrapUS$ 4.56 bn-10.9%
14Aluminium scrapUS$ 4.55 bn+15.8%
15Solar cells and panelsUS$ 4.05 bn+6.9%
16Routers and networking equipmentUS$ 3.95 bn+11.9%
17Pulses (dals)US$ 3.63 bn-34.5%
18Copper scrapUS$ 3.43 bn+44.3%
19Medical devices and instrumentsUS$ 3.1 bn+10.5%
20Textile machineryUS$ 2.94 bn+46%
21Steel sheets and coils (flat-rolled)US$ 2.78 bn-32.6%
22Inverters, chargers and power suppliesUS$ 2.37 bn+24.4%
23Raw cashew nuts (in shell)US$ 2.29 bn+40.8%
24Hard disks and storage devicesUS$ 2.08 bn+31.8%
25CCTV camerasUS$ 1.97 bn+1.3%
26Printers and copiersUS$ 1.94 bn+0.4%
27CNC and machine toolsUS$ 1.87 bn+11.6%
28Raw cottonUS$ 1.86 bn+54.6%
29Printed circuit boardsUS$ 1.68 bn+11%
30Air compressorsUS$ 1.64 bn+17.1%
31PumpsUS$ 1.62 bn+9%
32Ball and roller bearingsUS$ 1.57 bn+7.1%
33TVs, monitors and display panelsUS$ 1.46 bn+1.9%
34AlmondsUS$ 1.43 bn+27.3%
35Waste paper (recovered paper)US$ 1.39 bn+12.6%
36MethanolUS$ 1.09 bn+18.3%
37Timber logsUS$ 1.01 bn-3.2%
38Packaging machineryUS$ 917 mn+3.8%
39Natural rubberUS$ 893 mn-16.5%
40Wood pulpUS$ 863 mn+14.8%
41Synthetic woven and knitted fabricsUS$ 757 mn+0.4%
42Whisky and spiritsUS$ 691 mn+14.9%
43FurnitureUS$ 637 mn+29.8%
44Kitchen appliancesUS$ 622 mn-7.9%
45WatchesUS$ 613 mn+23.8%
46Construction equipment (excavators, loaders)US$ 511 mn+2.2%
47Handbags and luggageUS$ 504 mn+5.3%
48Cosmetics and skin careUS$ 484 mn+8.8%
49LED lights and luminairesUS$ 464 mn-0.3%
50Sports equipmentUS$ 373 mn+20.4%
51Electric carsUS$ 371 mn+51.7%
52FootwearUS$ 343 mn-8.1%
53DatesUS$ 341 mn+17.5%
54Food processing machineryUS$ 325 mn-16.7%
55Apples (fresh)US$ 317 mn-29.6%
56Injection moulding machinesUS$ 286 mn-11%
57Spectacles, frames and sunglassesUS$ 268 mn+6.2%
58PistachiosUS$ 262 mn-11.6%
59Dried figs and apricotsUS$ 249 mn+45%
60Industrial robotsUS$ 247 mn+25.2%
61Raw woolUS$ 231 mn+11.9%
62Polyester staple fibreUS$ 214 mn+7.8%
63PerfumesUS$ 209 mn+15.9%
64WalnutsUS$ 173 mn+43.8%
65Pet foodUS$ 141 mn+4.5%
66GlasswareUS$ 134 mn+1.3%
67Cocoa beansUS$ 118 mn-53%
68Pens and stationeryUS$ 116 mn+16.1%
69ToysUS$ 95.7 mn+29.3%
70Ceramic sanitarywareUS$ 80.8 mn+11.1%
71Olive oilUS$ 36.9 mn-23.1%
72Artificial flowers and decorUS$ 32.9 mn+9.4%
73Ceramic and vitrified tilesUS$ 32.4 mn-7.7%
74WineUS$ 30.8 mn+17.3%
75CheeseUS$ 20.9 mn+92.7%
76BicyclesUS$ 4.5 mn+15.7%

Read first

Import guides

  1. 01How importing into India worksFrom IEC to “out of charge”: the steps every importer goes through, and who does what.7 min →
  2. 02Customs duty: what you pay and how to work it outBasic customs duty, Social Welfare Surcharge, IGST and cess — how they stack, how to read the tariff, and a worked example.8 min →
  3. 03Is your product free to import? ITC(HS) Schedule 1Every import falls into one of four policy classes. Check yours before you sign a purchase order.5 min →
  4. 04BIS, FSSAI, quarantine, labelling and EPR: the checks after the dutyPaying duty is not enough. Many goods must also meet Indian standards, food law, plant health rules, label rules and waste rules.8 min →
  5. 05Importing from China: a practical checklistHow to check a supplier, inspect goods, pay safely, and avoid surprise anti-dumping duty and BIS holds.7 min →
  6. 06Importing duty-free or at lower duty: AA, EPCG, SEZ and FTAsThe legal ways to import without duty, or at a preferential rate — and the CAROTAR rules you must follow when you claim an FTA rate.7 min →
  7. 07Paying for imports: RBI rules from 1 October 2026RBI’s new Export and Import Regulations, 2026 replace the old Master Direction approach. Here is what changes for an importer.6 min →

Work out the landed cost

Invoice value, freight and the duty rates for your HS code — see what the goods cost at your door.

Landed cost calculator →

Papers

Documents for importing