ICL International Freight Forwarders

What ICL International Freight Forwarders does

ICL International Freight Forwarders is an India-based freight forwarding and integrated logistics company headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. Founded in 2008 as an IATA Approved Cargo Agency, it operates a multi-modal logistics platform spanning air freight, sea freight (FCL/LCL), road and rail transport, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, dangerous goods handling, project cargo, valuable goods transportation, and temperature-controlled packaging solutions. The company serves importers, exporters, and shippers of high-value, hazardous, and temperature-sensitive cargo across India through ten branch offices at major hubs, and serves international customers through offices in Bangladesh, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the UAE, and the United States, complemented by GLN membership and agent partnerships with NYK Nippon and Yusen Kaisha.

Its service portfolio is anchored in specialized offerings: electronic customs clearance, UN-certified dangerous goods packaging across all 9 IATA hazard classes, temperature-controlled packaging with validated protection supporting ranges from -80°C (dry ice) to +25°C with thermal ratings up to 5, and full track-and-trace shipments. The company owns a fleet of cargo vehicles for domestic India transport and operates a separately branded sub-company, ICL Express (Integrated Couriers & Logistics), for time-sensitive domestic courier shipments with stated plans for global expansion. Technology infrastructure is described qualitatively as "latest technology" for electronic customs clearance and documentation; however, the public tracking page is labeled "Coming Soon," and no public API, SDK, or developer-facing integration is offered, indicating limited platform maturity relative to digital-first logistics competitors.

ICL generates revenue through transaction-fee-based freight forwarding priced by shipment weight, volume, and destination, professional-services fees for customs brokerage, managed-services revenue from warehousing and distribution (including cross-dock, pick and pack, vendor managed inventory), and transaction fees from domestic courier services under the ICL Express brand. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly tiered, reflecting a sales-led, bespoke-solution go-to-market targeted at enterprise importers and exporters. The company reports approximately 2,500 customers served cumulatively across its 17+ office network, holds IATA Cargo Agency approval (since 2008) plus a 2013 CRISIL SME rating for Andhra Pradesh, and has received industry recognition awards from Turkish Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Thai Airways, British Airways World Cargo, and Emirates Skycargo. The company is privately held, with no disclosed institutional investors or parent entity, and the founder/Managing Director is identified as Sai Kiran D.

Name

ICL International Freight Forwarders

Legal name

ICL International Freight Forwarders

Website

https://iclfreight.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICL International Freight Forwarders is a Hyderabad, India-based IATA-approved freight forwarder offering air, sea, road, and rail transport, customs clearance, warehousing, dangerous goods handling, and temperature-controlled packaging through 17+ offices across India and six international markets, serving 2,500 customers since 2008.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding & Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), High-Value & Secure Air Cargo (Valuables, Security Screening, Escort) (TLACAAAH)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Air freight services
• Sea freight services
• Customs clearance brokerage
• Warehousing and distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Core revenue from air freight, sea freight, and land transport services for imports and exports. Revenue generated through freight charges based on shipment weight, volume, and destination.
2. Customs Clearance Services: Customs brokerage and clearance services at ports and border crossings
3. Warehousing and Distribution: Comprehensive warehousing and distribution services throughout global network with inventory management
4. Domestic Courier Services: Domestic courier services under ICL brand (Integrated Couriers & Logistics) for time-sensitive shipments within India

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICL International Freight Forwarders is an IATA Approved Cargo Agency that provides integrated international freight forwarding services covering air freight, sea freight (FCL and LCL), road and rail transport, customs clearance, warehousing and distribution, and specialized handling for dangerous goods, valuable goods, temperature-controlled cargo, and project cargo. The company operates its own domestic cargo vehicle fleet and uses a global network of agent partners to deliver door-to-door shipping solutions for importers, exporters, and industrial shippers.

Product overview

ICL International Freight Forwarders is a freight forwarding and logistics company offering an integrated suite of services. The core offerings include Total Freight Solution (with own vehicle fleet), Air Freight, Sea Freight, Dangerous Goods Handling, Valuable Goods Transportation, Temperature Control Package (with Pallet Blankets, Courier Shippers, and Pallet Shippers sub-products), Project Cargo, Custom Clearance, Door To Door, and Warehousing And Distribution. The company also operates a domestic courier sub-brand called ICL Express (Integrated Couriers & Logistics). Services are delivered through offices at major Indian hubs with global agent partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICL Express (Integrated Couriers & Logistics): Branded courier company offering domestic courier services in India, with plans to extend network globally.

Products and services

• Total Freight Solution Comprehensive integrated freight solution offering under one group with own fleet of cargo vehicles for transport within India. Includes Air Export/Import, Customs Clearance, Sea Freight, Project Cargo, and Charter Services for importers, exporters, and businesses needing end-to-end logistics coordination.
• Air Freight Air freight services with dedicated offices at major Indian hubs (Hyderabad, Chennai, Bombay, Bangalore) and global agent partners. Services include consolidated and individual shipments, charter services, customs clearance, combined sea/air freight, crosstrade, and special cargo handling for businesses needing fast international shipping.
• Sea Freight Sea freight services including FCL (Full Container Load), LCL (Less-than-Container Load), project transport, refrigerated transport, customs clearance, and port-to-door delivery. Offices maintained at important Indian ports for businesses needing cost-effective ocean shipping.
• Dangerous Goods Handling Storage and handling of dangerous goods including classification across 9 classes (explosives, flammable gases, toxic gases, flammable liquids, oxidizing substances, radioactive materials, corrosive, and miscellaneous). Provides UN Certified Packages through a Mumbai-based associate for shippers of hazardous chemicals and regulated materials.
• Valuable Goods Transportation High-value cargo transportation with security measures including tracking systems, alarms, and additional locks. Organizes multimodal delivery using air, road, sea, and rail transport for industrial equipment, hi-tech electronics, and pharmaceuticals with invoice values from hundreds to several million euros.
• Temperature Control Package Temperature-sensitive cargo solutions including custom insulated pallet blankets and GMP pre-qualified courier shippers. Supports temperature ranges from -80°C dry ice to +25°C with validated protection durations for pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, and perishable food products.
• Project Cargo Integrated logistics project implementation from transport of heavy/oversized goods to turnkey handover of large-scale industrial projects including production plant relocations and trade fair/exhibition support for industrial shippers.
• Custom Clearance Customs clearance services including electronic customs clearance, special customs clearance, scheme shipments, valuable customs clearance, and approved shipper/consignee clearance for businesses importing and exporting through Indian ports and border crossings.
• Door To Door Complete door-to-door shipping from origin to any worldwide destination, handling documents, packing, deadlines, insurance, customs requirements with full track and trace capabilities for businesses needing turnkey shipping solutions.
• Warehousing and Distribution Comprehensive warehousing and distribution services including cross dock, domestic transportation, finished goods distribution, in-transit assembly, merge in transit, pick and pack, retail distribution, returns program, and vendor managed inventory throughout ICL's global network.
• ICL Express (Integrated Couriers & Logistics) Domestic courier services under a branded company operating across India for time-sensitive shipments, with plans to extend network globally. Operates at www.iclexpress.in as one of the fastest growing courier companies in India.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• GLN (Global Logistics Network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerICL has membership in GLN (Global Logistics Network) which enables them to arrange flexible shipping options and coordinate door-to-door services with global logistics providers. This partnership extends their reach and service capabilities worldwide.
• NYK NipponcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorICL represents NYK Nippon shipping line for sea freight services. This partnership enables them to offer guaranteed freight space and comprehensive sea transport solutions to customers.
• Yusen KaishacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorICL represents Yusen Kaisha for sea freight services, providing customers access to additional shipping line capacity and routing options.
• ICL Express (Integrated Couriers & Logistics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICL offers domestic courier services under their branded company ICL (Integrated Couriers & Logistics) operating at www.iclexpress.in, one of the fastest growing courier companies in India with plans for global expansion.
• Dangerous Goods Packaging Supplier (Mumbai)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with a Mumbai-based associate certified to provide UN Certified Packages (all types of Boxes/Drums) for dangerous goods handling, with accompanying certificates for compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Flexport: Digital-native freight forwarder offering online quoting, booking, and real-time visibility for ocean and air freight. Comparable as an ocean and air freight forwarder, but its technology-first model represents both a competitive threat and a strategic model contrast to ICL.

Direct peers

• Expeditors International: Global asset-light freight forwarder focused on air and ocean freight plus customs brokerage. Closely aligned with ICL's asset-light, relationship-driven model and service mix, though operating globally with proprietary technology.
• Allcargo Logistics: India-headquartered integrated logistics provider offering multimodal freight forwarding, customs, project cargo, and contract logistics. Most directly comparable Indian peer given shared domestic base and similar service breadth.
• BVC Logistics: Indian logistics company offering domestic and international freight forwarding, customs clearance, and project cargo. Most comparable Indian mid-market peer to ICL in scale and service portfolio.
• Transport Corporation of India (TCI): Indian multimodal logistics company with freight forwarding, customs, warehousing, and supply chain solutions. Comparable to ICL in domestic Indian footprint and service mix, though at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• DB Schenker: Global logistics provider offering air, ocean, road, and contract logistics plus customs services. Overlaps with ICL's full-service freight forwarding and customs clearance offerings at significantly greater scale.
• DSV Panalpina: Global freight forwarder and logistics provider offering air, sea, road, and project logistics. Directly comparable to ICL's service portfolio but at vastly greater scale following multiple large acquisitions.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Deutsche Post DHL's freight forwarding division covering air, ocean, road, customs, and specialized logistics. Competes with ICL across all major service categories including dangerous goods and high-value cargo, but with global infrastructure and proprietary visibility platforms.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders offering air, sea, road, and contract logistics with a global office network. Directly comparable to ICL across all service lines but operating at vastly greater scale and technology maturity.
• Maersk Logistics & Services: Integrated logistics arm of Maersk offering ocean freight, customs, warehousing, and end-to-end supply chain management. Competes with ICL in ocean forwarding and customs but as an integrated carrier-forwarder with embedded technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICL International Freight Forwarders