Bengaluru, India
Sea freight in Bengaluru
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Bengaluru, via Chennai. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Bengaluru
- AirportKempegowda International
BLR - SeaportChennai
Bengaluru's air cargo moves through Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) at Devanahalli, north of the city, which has a significant export volume of electronics, engineering parts and perishables, and dedicated facilities for pharma and temperature-controlled cargo. Bengaluru is an inland city, so sea freight is routed via the Port of Chennai and the nearby Kamarajar (Ennore) and Kattupalli terminals on the east coast, or via New Mangalore Port on the west coast. Containers can also be handled at the inland container depot in Whitefield, connected to Chennai by rail.
NH44 runs north from Bengaluru towards Hyderabad and south towards Madurai, while NH48 connects the city with Chennai and its ports, and NH75 leads west to Mangaluru. The road between the city and BLR is the main artery for air cargo. Rail container services link the Whitefield inland container depot with the Chennai port terminals.
Operational logistics facts for Bengaluru
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) cargo terminals | Electronics, aerospace parts, perishables, pharma | Direct airport access for the city's technology and aerospace companies |
| Electronic City and Whitefield | IT hardware, semiconductors, biotech | Pick-up arranged at technology parks across the city |
| Port of Chennai, Kamarajar and Kattupalli | FCL/LCL for Karnataka shippers | East-coast sea freight combined with customs in one shipment file |
| Whitefield inland container depot | Rail-linked container handling | Containers can be cleared inland near Bengaluru |
Industries in Bengaluru and how we support them
Bengaluru brings together electronics and semiconductor design, aerospace and defence manufacturing, biotech firms in Electronic City and around the city, and automotive production at Bidadi west of the city and in Hosur across the Tamil Nadu border. Typical flows are high-value electronic components, prototypes, aircraft parts and biological samples. Ziem Logistics supports these companies with air freight from BLR under our own air waybills, On-Board Courier for prototypes and AOG parts, Next Flight Out for urgent components, sea freight via Chennai and customs clearance including tariff classification by our partner team in the Ziem network.
FCL and LCL via Chennai
Full containers are booked directly with the shipping line; for smaller volumes we use LCL consolidation services. Pre-carriage from Bengaluru to Chennai, or on-carriage after arrival, is arranged by road or rail as part of the same booking.
Customs clearance in India
Ziem network
Customs clearance in India is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from India we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in India need an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC).
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Bengaluru?
Usually Chennai. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.