The Move

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By Rajkamal Rao

This section contains information about every aspect of the physical move process, from planning through execution.

What To Ship

See Also:
Section 8a1.  A primer on Indian Customs Duties

Section 8a2.  Furniture

Section 8a3.  Electrical Appliances

Section 8a4.  Automobiles and Miscellaneous items



First, you must decide what it is that you wish to take with you to India.  The easiest solution is to sell most of what you own in the West and return to India the same way you left India years ago - with a couple of suitcases checked in to your aircraft’s baggage hold.  While this may be practical for single men and women who have stayed abroad for just a few years, it is not feasible for families who have built a life around the things they have acquired.  Children, especially, associate more with their physical surroundings (toys, furniture) than adults - and your transition may become easier if you can move those things that your family has grown attached to. 

One way to decide what to ship is to do a cost-benefit analysis.  How much would it cost for you to ship the item (including paying customs duties in India) rather than buy it anew in India?  You can discount the cost of buying it by what you would expect to sell it for in the west. 

For example, consider that sofa set (comprised of a 3-seat couch, a 2-seat love-seat and single-seat captain couch) that is in your living room today.  Assume that the set measures approximately 100 cft in shipping volume (you can calculate shipping volume by multiplying an item’s length, breadth and height in inches and dividing the product by 1,728).  A 20-ft shipping container offers about 1,000 cft of volume, so shipping your sofa set will cost you about 10% of your overall shipping bill.  If shipping the container costs you, say, $7,000 - the cost to ship your sofa set is about $700.

What would it cost you to buy the same item in India?  Furniture is expensive in India and the cost of a decent sofa set can run you several thousand dollars.  Since you are unlikely to sell your current sofa set in the West for more than a couple of hundred dollars, it may be much more cost effective to ship it.

Cost benefit analyses alone cannot help you decide your packing list.  Other considerations include the age of the item, feasibility of buying an equivalent item in India and emotional factors (you may want to hold on to your child’s first car seat).

Successful returnees say that furniture, electronics, kitchen accessories and home staples (paper plates, toilet paper, plastic cups) are must-pack items for your shipment.

Section 8b.  The Value Chain of International Shipping

Section 8c.  Shipping containers

Section 8d.  Selecting the correct shipping container size

Section 8e.  Collecting quotes

Section 8f.  Insuring your shipment

Section 8g.  Selecting your provider - and the load pick up date

Section 8h.  The Moving List & Calendar

Section 8i.  D-Day Activities

Section 8j.  Departure for India