India’s freight forwarding industry sits at the heart of the country’s global trade ambitions, with total exports of goods and services in FY 2024-25 estimated at USD 820.93 billion and exports expected to reach USD 900 billion by 2030. The sector employs over 22 million people and serves as the critical link between India’s manufacturing base and international markets through air, sea, road, and multimodal cargo movement. Globally, just 20 multinational freight forwarders including DHL, Kuehne+Nagel, DB Schenker, DSV, and Sinotrans control between 55 and 70 percent of the world’s containerised cargo, and Indian exporters predominantly choose these multinational forwarders over domestic providers, limiting scale growth for local players. Major logistics hubs including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru dominate India’s freight forwarding ecosystem due to their proximity to international ports, airports, and industrial manufacturing clusters. Let us have a look at the top 10 freight forwarding companies in India for the year 2026.
1. DHL Global Forwarding India
DHL Global Forwarding, part of DHL Group which has been connecting goods to every corner of the globe since the year 1815, is one of the three largest global freight forwarding companies in a market that remains highly fragmented worldwide. The company offers extensive air freight, ocean freight, and project logistics services in India including FCL and LCL ocean solutions and air freight services with optional customs support, leveraging its global transport management system and customer interaction tools such as the myDHLFreight portal that is already running in 28 countries.
DHL Global Forwarding serves Indian exporters and importers across every major industry with its comprehensive air, ocean, and overland freight transport services, and its global network geared to the highest sector-specific security standards including TAPA certification and the US CTPAT initiative makes it the most internationally trusted freight forwarding brand operating in India.
2. Kuehne+Nagel India
Kuehne+Nagel, a Switzerland-based logistics firm founded in the year 1890, has built a strong presence in India dealing in sea and air cargo through a technology-enabled, solution-oriented approach with worldwide connectivity that makes it well-suited for international supply chain companies. With close to 85,000 employees at almost 1,300 sites in close to 100 countries globally, Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world’s leading logistics providers, offering customs clearance, cargo insurance, advanced digital technologies, and structured LCL services with online visibility for businesses shipping part loads from India.
Kuehne+Nagel India serves customers of every size across diverse industries as the logistics partner of choice for 400,000 worldwide customers, providing complete supply chain solutions across all transport modes, and is particularly known for its advanced freight technology and supply chain analytics that deliver sophisticated freight management and risk management tools to Indian exporters.
3. Allcargo Logistics Limited
Allcargo Logistics, an Indian multinational with a reputation for multimodal transportation operations, is one of India’s most significant domestic freight forwarders providing LCL shipping consolidation, container freight station operations, project cargo handling, and third-party logistics services. The company is recognised alongside Jeena and Company as an industry pioneer in demonstrating that Indian freight forwarders can grow through technology and innovation despite the dominance of multinational players, with Mumbai-based ECU Worldwide — its global LCL consolidation arm — showing that Indian logistics companies can compete globally through digital investments and network expansion.
Allcargo Logistics serves industrial customers requiring large-scale, complex shipments with its door-to-door multimodal solutions spanning sea and air freight, warehousing, and project logistics, and its global presence through ECU Worldwide makes it the most prominent Indian-origin freight forwarder competing directly with multinational consolidators in the LCL segment.
4. DB Schenker India
DB Schenker, the logistics arm of German railway operator Deutsche Bahn, is strong in air freight and specialised industrial logistics, connecting India’s manufacturing hubs to global markets through its extensive international network. The company is counted among the top 20 multinational freight forwarders that collectively control the majority of the world’s containerised cargo, and in India it serves manufacturing-heavy sectors including chemicals, machinery, engineering goods, and textiles that regularly ship large cargo consignments requiring specialised export documentation and multimodal transport coordination.
DB Schenker India serves India’s manufacturing and industrial export sector with its air freight and specialised logistics capabilities, and its German engineering heritage combined with deep global rail and ocean network integration makes it a preferred partner for Indian manufacturers shipping complex industrial cargo to international destinations.
5. Expeditors International India
Expeditors International is a global logistics company supporting ocean freight and broader freight forwarding services with a significant presence across Indian ports, known particularly for highlighting customs brokerage capabilities across multiple air and ocean gateways in India alongside strong compliance support. The company’s structured approach to consolidated documentation, customs clearance, and ocean freight management has made it a trusted partner for Indian businesses where customs friction is a significant pain point in the export and import process.
Expeditors India serves importers and exporters who prioritise customs clearance reliability and compliance support, and is particularly valued by businesses managing complex regulatory documentation requirements across India’s major air and ocean ports where smooth customs brokerage execution directly determines shipment timelines.
6. TVS Supply Chain Solutions
TVS Supply Chain Solutions, part of the TVS Group, has emerged as one of India’s significant integrated logistics and freight forwarding companies, combining domestic supply chain expertise with growing international freight capabilities. The company is recognised among the key players in India’s freight forwarding market alongside global majors like DHL, Kuehne+Nagel, and DB Schenker, leveraging its automotive industry heritage and manufacturing sector relationships to provide specialised supply chain and freight services to Indian exporters across multiple industrial verticals.
TVS Supply Chain Solutions serves Indian manufacturers and exporters with its integrated logistics and freight forwarding capabilities, and its automotive and engineering sector heritage through the TVS Group gives it particular strength in serving India’s industrial export base with specialised supply chain coordination expertise.
7. CJ Darcl Logistics Limited
CJ Darcl Logistics, a significant Indian logistics and freight forwarding company, is recognised among the key players in India’s freight forwarding market for its comprehensive service portfolio spanning multimodal transport, customs clearance, and cargo consolidation. The company has built its position serving India’s domestic and international trade logistics requirements, competing alongside both multinational majors and other established domestic players to provide cargo movement solutions across India’s major ports and inland logistics networks.
CJ Darcl Logistics serves Indian businesses requiring multimodal freight transport and customs clearance services, and represents the growing tier of established domestic logistics companies that compete through regional expertise and customised cargo handling services against the larger multinational freight forwarding networks.
8. Container Corporation of India (CONCOR)
Container Corporation of India, a government-owned entity, is one of the key players in India’s freight forwarding and multimodal transport market, operating the country’s largest network of inland container depots and rail-based container movement infrastructure. CONCOR plays a critical role in linking India’s manufacturing hinterlands to its major ports through rail freight corridors, and as India invests heavily in connecting its major ports via internal waterways and dedicated rail freight corridors, CONCOR’s role in integrated multi-modal transport solutions continues to expand.
CONCOR serves Indian exporters and importers requiring rail-based container transport between inland manufacturing centres and coastal ports, and its government-backed infrastructure network makes it the most strategically important player in India’s multimodal freight transport ecosystem, particularly for cost-efficient long-haul container movement.
9. FedEx Trade Networks India
FedEx Trade Networks provides robust express services and specialised customs clearance expertise for complex import and export procedures in India, leveraging FedEx’s global air freight and express logistics network. The company is particularly valued by Indian businesses requiring fast, time-definite international shipping combined with reliable customs documentation support, competing with DHL as one of the two dominant global express and freight integrators serving India’s time-sensitive international trade requirements.
FedEx Trade Networks serves Indian businesses requiring express international shipping and complex customs clearance support, and its combination of air freight network strength with specialised trade compliance expertise makes it a preferred choice for companies managing intricate import and export procedures requiring both speed and documentation accuracy.
10. Bolloré Logistics India
Bolloré Logistics, a French multinational logistics group, maintains a significant presence in India’s freight forwarding market, recognised among the key players alongside DHL, DB Schenker, Kuehne+Nagel, and major domestic operators. The company provides comprehensive freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and multimodal transport services to Indian exporters and importers, drawing on its global network strength to serve India’s expanding international trade flows across air, sea, and overland transport modes.
Bolloré Logistics India serves Indian businesses with international trade requirements through its comprehensive freight forwarding and customs brokerage services, and its global French logistics network provides Indian exporters with established trade lane connectivity to European and African markets where Bolloré has particularly strong historical presence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Which is the largest freight forwarding company operating in India in 2026?
A: DHL Global Forwarding, Kuehne+Nagel, and DB Schenker are consistently cited as the largest multinational freight forwarders operating in India, all ranking among the top 20 global freight forwarders that collectively control 55 to 70 percent of the world’s containerised cargo. Among Indian-origin companies, Allcargo Logistics is the most significant domestic player, with its ECU Worldwide subsidiary giving it meaningful global LCL consolidation scale.
Q: Why do Indian exporters prefer multinational freight forwarders over domestic ones?
A: Indian exporters predominantly choose multinational forwarders like DHL and Kuehne+Nagel over domestic providers primarily due to their established global networks, advanced technology platforms, and existing trade lane relationships built over decades. This preference has historically prevented scale growth for local Indian players, though companies like Allcargo Logistics and Jeena and Company are demonstrating that Indian freight forwarders can compete successfully through technology investment and network expansion.
Q: What is the size of India’s export market that freight forwarders serve?
A: India’s total exports of goods and services in FY 2024-25 are estimated at USD 820.93 billion, with exports expected to reach USD 900 billion by 2030. This makes reliable freight forwarding execution a critical business advantage for Indian exporters, and control over logistics is considered essential for India’s competitiveness and supply chain resilience as the country pursues this ambitious export growth target.
Q: What should Indian businesses look for when choosing a freight forwarder?
A: Key factors include network coverage spanning both domestic and global reach, service portfolio breadth covering air, sea, and road freight along with customs clearance and warehousing, technology integration for digital tracking and real-time updates, pricing competitiveness with clear all-in quote breakups covering origin, freight, destination charges and surcharges, and customs clearance capabilities particularly the speed and compliance record of the company’s Customs House Agent division at specific Indian ports.
Q: How are Indian freight forwarders trying to compete with global consolidators?
A: Indian freight forwarders are focusing on heavy technology investment including AI-driven route optimisation, online booking platforms, and real-time cargo tracking to meet growing digital demands. Industry pioneers such as Allcargo Logistics and Jeena and Company are demonstrating this potential for growth through technology and innovation. The industry is also calling for government incentives such as tax breaks, priority port access, and digital infrastructure grants to help domestic logistics providers compete more effectively against multinational consolidators.
