Shipping and installing an imported brewhouse in India
Importing a brewhouse is a logistics project as much as a brewing one. The steps are freight, insurance, customs, rigging, installation and commissioning. Each has its own traps. Any one of them can delay your opening by weeks.
Agree who carries the risk
The first question is where the supplier's responsibility ends and yours begins. That is set by the Incoterm in your contract. Ex-works means you collect from their factory. FOB means they load it onto the ship at their port. CIF means they pay freight and insurance to an Indian port. DAP means they deliver to your site, with you handling import duty.
For a first-time importer, we lean towards terms where the supplier handles more of the journey, but price it carefully. The cheaper ex-works quote can become the expensive one once you add freight, insurance and an agent.
Containers, crating and tank heights
Most brewhouses travel in 20 ft or 40 ft containers. A standard container's door opening is roughly 2.3 m wide and around 2.3 to 2.6 m high depending on type. Tall fermenters often do not fit. They travel on open-top containers or flat racks, which cost more and need more careful lashing.
Ask the supplier for a packing list with dimensions and weights for every crate plus a loading plan. Insist on proper crating, sealed openings and desiccant for sea freight. Salt air and condensation do no favours to motors and control panels.
Insurance for the whole journey
Marine cargo insurance is commonly taken at 110% of the CIF value, which covers the goods plus some of the extra cost of replacing them. Check that cover runs warehouse to warehouse, from the supplier's factory to your site, including the inland leg in India. A tank dented by a crane at the port is as much a loss as one dropped at sea.
Inspect crates on arrival before signing the delivery note. Photograph any damage and note it on the paperwork. Insurers want evidence from the moment of delivery, not a week later.
Customs clearance
Use a licensed customs broker who has cleared industrial machinery before. They will need the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, insurance certificate and technical literature. Brewery machinery is usually classified under HS heading 8438, but the exact code and the duty payable depend on what is in the shipment and the current tariff. Ask your broker to confirm before the goods ship, not after they land.
Budget for duty and GST at import, port charges, demurrage if containers sit too long and the broker's fees. Container detention charges add up daily. Have your site ready before the ship arrives.
Rigging and getting it inside
Measure the route from the truck to the brewhouse floor. Doors, ramps, lift shafts, ceiling heights and floor loading all matter. Hire a rigging contractor with cranes, forklifts or hydraulic skates and a written lift plan. Never let a general labour gang roll a two tonne fermenter on pipes across a marble lobby.
In a mall or tech park, building management will set the rules: night-time moves, floor protection and insurance certificates. Ask early. We have heard of more than one opening delayed because a tank could not use the goods lift.
Installation and commissioning
The supplier's engineer usually supervises assembly, piping and commissioning. Agree in the contract how many days are included, who pays flights, visas and hotels. Agree too what happens if your site is not ready when they land. Waiting days are usually charged.
Before the engineer arrives, have power, water, drains, compressed air, glycol and steam or gas ready to connect. Then expect cleaning, passivation of new stainless steel, a water run and at least one test brew. Our guide to second-hand brewhouses covers similar checks for used kit.
Imported or local
Imported brewhouses bring their own costs: freight, duty, foreign engineers and spares that arrive on a plane. Indian fabricators have closed much of the gap on build quality. Our comparison of imported and Indian-made brewhouses sets out the trade-offs. Whichever you choose, the landed and installed cost is the number that belongs in your business plan, not the factory price.
Founders who plan the timeline from order to first brew, step by step, open on time far more often than those who plan from the order date alone.
Your first step
Draw a timeline backwards from your opening date. Mark the installation start, the arrival at port, customs clearance and the ship date. Then ask your supplier and broker whether those gaps are realistic. Most founders find they are already late.
Common questions
How long does it take to import a brewhouse into India?
It depends on the origin, the port and customs. Sea freight plus clearance and inland transport often take several weeks. Plan the whole timeline with your broker before the order is placed.
What insurance do I need for an imported brewhouse?
Marine cargo insurance, commonly at 110% of the CIF value, covering warehouse to warehouse including the inland leg in India. Inspect and photograph crates on arrival.
Who installs an imported brewhouse?
Usually the supplier's engineer supervises installation and commissioning with local contractors. Agree the number of days, travel costs and site readiness in the contract.
