Stocking an Indian Grocery Store: Importing FMCG Brands from India

Indian grocery stores abroad carry thousands of packaged products: atta, rice, dals, masalas, snacks, sweets, pickles, tea, ready-to-eat meals and household goods. Most of them are bought from India in mixed containers that combine many brands.

Build your list from what sells

Start with staples that sell every week, such as atta, rice, dals, oil, tea and the main masalas. Then add snacks, sweets and seasonal items such as festival products. Order in cartons, and check the units per carton for each pack.

Labels

Packs made for the Indian market may need an extra sticker in your country with ingredients, allergens, nutrition information and the importer's details. Some brands make export versions with labels already compliant for the USA, UK, EU or Gulf. Ask which version you will receive.

Shelf life

Snacks and some sweets have short shelf lives of 3–6 months. After shipping and customs, you may have only half of that left to sell. Order short-life products in smaller quantities and more often, and ask for recent production dates.

Restricted items

Some products, such as items containing meat, certain dairy products or some ayurvedic medicines, need special permits or cannot be imported into some countries. Check before you add them to your list.

Pricing

Compare the landed cost per unit, including freight, duty and clearance, with the retail price in your market. Distributors usually aim for enough margin to cover damages, slow sellers and expired stock.

You can browse and order from our FMCG product list online.