SA Group
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersNoida, India
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SA Group does
SA Group (legally S.A. Consultants & Forwarders Pvt. Ltd.) is an India-based neutral wholesale freight forwarder founded in 2000 by Asaf Ali and his son Ashish Asaf, headquartered in Delhi-NCR and operating across 9 metro cities. The company provides freight forwarding services exclusively to other freight forwarders, customs brokers, courier agents, and food product manufacturers — explicitly not to end shippers — differentiating itself through a "neutral" model in which it maintains zero interest in the cargo (value unit) and therefore does not compete with its own customers. Its core services include air freight forwarding, ocean freight, air export consolidation, warehousing and distribution, customs clearance, and air charter services, supplemented by specialized verticals in dangerous goods, perishables, live animals, and pharmaceuticals logistics.
The business operates on a transaction-fee model, with pricing quoted per shipment based on cargo type, routing, and service requirements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. SA Group holds industry-critical credentials including IATA accreditation (ranked among the top 5 IATA Indian freight forwarders), AEO customs certification, FIATA membership, ACAAI affiliation, and WCA membership. Direct airline relationships with carriers such as Sri Lankan Airlines, Turkish Cargo, Go Air, Celebi, and IAG underpin access to competitive cargo capacity. Under Ashish Asaf's leadership from 2010, the company scaled from INR 50 lakh in turnover to INR 400 crores and from 40 tons to 2,100 tons of monthly cargo volume by 2018.
The company is privately held and founder/family-controlled, with no external institutional investors disclosed. SA Group employs 51-100 staff and runs a horizontal B2B go-to-market motion via direct enterprise sales through its branch network. The operational model relies on relationship-driven capacity aggregation rather than proprietary technology platforms; no AI/ML capabilities, digital products, APIs, or mobile applications are evidenced.
SA Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SA Group
- Legal name
- S.A. Consultants & Forwarders Pvt. Ltd.
- Website
- https://sagroupindia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SA Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Air Consolidation & Deconsolidation (Consols, Master/House AWB) (TLACAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Air Freight Consolidation (Air Consol) (TLACALAB), Air Cargo Charter Specialists (On-Demand) (TLADAAAE)
Keywords
Where SA Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Noida
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices10 records
Markets served
SA Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Freight Forwarding Services: Air freight forwarding, ocean freight forwarding, air export consolidation, warehousing and distribution, customs clearance, and air charter services. Revenue generated through service fees for logistics operations across various cargo categories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Custom quote-based pricing for freight forwarding services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SA Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SA Group operates as a neutral wholesale freight forwarder providing air freight forwarding, ocean freight, air export consolidation, warehousing and distribution, customs clearance, and air charter services. The company serves exclusively freight forwarders, customs brokers, courier agents, and food product manufacturers across 9 metro cities in India, with global forwarding reach through airline partnerships and the WCA network. Its distinguishing characteristic is a zero-interest-in-cargo model that eliminates conflict of interest with customers.
Product overview
SA Group operates as a neutral wholesale freight forwarding platform offering a comprehensive suite of logistics services. The core portfolio includes Air Freight Forwarding, Ocean Freight, Air Export Consolidation, Warehousing & Distribution, Custom Clearance, and Air Charter Services. Specialized verticals include Dangerous Goods Transportation, Perishables Logistics, Live Animals Logistics, Pharmaceuticals Logistics, and General Cargo handling. The company positions itself as a neutral platform serving freight forwarders, customs brokers, courier agents, and food product manufacturers without competing against them.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air Freight Forwarding Core air freight forwarding services for cargo of all types, providing global shipping solutions through airline partnerships and handling documentation. Targeted at freight forwarders, customs brokers, courier agents, and food product manufacturers.
- Ocean Freight Sea freight services providing convenient transport of cargo through shipping lanes across the world, complementing SA Group's air freight capabilities for non-time-sensitive shipments.
- Air Export Consolidation Consolidated airfreight solutions offering a range of consolidated shipping products to various destinations, leveraging SA Group's purchasing power to deliver competitive rates to smaller freight forwarders.
- Warehousing & Distribution Warehousing facilities and distribution solutions for freight cargo, including storage and delivery logistics, including temperature-controlled warehousing for pharmaceutical and perishable cargo.
- Custom Clearance Customs brokerage services with specialized brokers managing documentation and regulatory compliance for import and export cargo, supported by AEO trusted-trader certification.
- Air Charter Services Global air charter services for cargo, leveraging SA Group's size, global infrastructure and experience in cargo chartering to serve time-sensitive or oversized shipments.
- Dangerous Goods Transportation Transportation of hazardous materials and dangerous goods including all DG classes, with required documentation, packaging, labelling, and compliance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
- Perishables Logistics Temperature-sensitive cargo handling for perishable goods including document preparation, customs formalities, prioritized space on flights, and specialized airline handling for fresh produce, seafood, and other perishables.
- Live Animals Logistics Transportation of live animals including personal pets, sporting animals and agricultural animals for breeding, fully compliant with IATA Live Animal Regulations and animal welfare standards.
- Pharmaceuticals Logistics Temperature-monitored pharmaceutical and healthcare product transportation with continuous monitoring, safe handling, storage, distribution, and temperature-controlled warehousing for medicines, medical devices, and equipment.
- General Cargo Non-specialized cargo handling including consumer goods, machinery and industrial equipment with tailored logistics solutions for timely and secure delivery.
Companies that use SA Group
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
SA Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SA Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- IATA (International Air Transport Association)coreIATA accreditation is fundamental to air freight forwarding operations. SA Group is ranked among top 10 IATA agents in India, demonstrating strong compliance with international air cargo standards and regulations.
- FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations)coreFIATA membership provides access to international freight forwarding standards, networking, and industry best practices globally.
- Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI)coreActive membership in India's premier association representing the air cargo industry globally. Mr. Ashish Asaf served as Honorary Secretary General and later President of the association.
- World Cargo Alliance (WCA)coreGlobal cargo network membership providing worldwide forwarding capabilities and access to trusted freight forwarding partners across international markets.
- Various Airlines (Sri Lankan Airlines, Turkish Cargo, Go Air, Celebi, IAG)coreStrong relationships with multiple airlines enabling access to competitive rates and cargo capacity for freight forwarding services. Airlines have recognized SA Group with various awards.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SA Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Expeditors International: Major US-headquartered air and ocean freight forwarder with India operations. Comparable for air freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and consolidation services, though Expeditors competes with its customers rather than operating a neutral wholesale model.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global #1 air and ocean freight forwarder with extensive India operations. Directly comparable as a full-service air freight forwarder serving Indian exporters/importers, though DHL is asset-heavy and competes directly with its customers, whereas SA Group's neutral wholesale model differs.
- Yusen Logistics: Japan-headquartered global logistics provider with air freight forwarding, ocean freight, and supply chain solutions. Comparable as a global air freight forwarder serving India and international lanes, though Yusen competes directly with customers.
- Kuehne+Nagel: Top-3 global freight forwarder with strong India presence in air and ocean freight, customs clearance, and specialized verticals (pharma, perishables). Comparable as a full-service air freight forwarder, though K+N competes with its own customers rather than operating a neutral wholesale model.
Emerging players
- Kerry Logistics: Asia-headquartered freight forwarder with strong India presence and integrated logistics solutions. Comparable for air freight forwarding and consolidation services targeting Indian exporters and freight forwarders, with regional Asia expertise overlapping SA Group's specialty lanes.
- Vanguard Logistics Services: Neutral NVOCC and freight forwarder operating a non-competing wholesale model similar to SA Group's neutral wholesale positioning. Comparable for the neutral intermediation model in ocean/air freight, though Vanguard focuses more on ocean NVOCC consolidation.
Direct peers
- Skyways Group: India-based air and ocean freight forwarder with IATA accreditation and global forwarding network. Directly comparable to SA Group as an IATA-accredited Indian air freight forwarder serving similar customer segments.
- Continental Carriers: Indian freight forwarder with IATA accreditation, ACAAI membership, and air/ocean freight capabilities. Directly comparable to SA Group as an IATA-accredited Indian air freight forwarder operating a similar service mix.
- Allcargo Logistics: Indian-headquartered multimodal logistics provider offering air and ocean freight forwarding, customs clearance, and warehousing. Comparable as an India-based full-service freight forwarder serving similar Indian shippers and freight forwarders.
Regional players
- Transport Corporation of India: Indian integrated logistics provider offering freight forwarding, customs clearance, and warehousing across India. Comparable as an India-based freight forwarder with similar service portfolio, though TCI is more road/rail focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SA Group social profiles
Digital presenceSA Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
SA Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SA Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SA Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SA Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SA Group
What does SA Group do?
SA Group operates as a neutral wholesale freight forwarder providing air freight forwarding, ocean freight, air export consolidation, warehousing and distribution, customs clearance, and air charter services. The company serves exclusively freight forwarders, customs brokers, courier agents, and food product manufacturers across 9 metro cities in India, with global forwarding reach through airline partnerships and the WCA network. Its distinguishing characteristic is a zero-interest-in-cargo model that eliminates conflict of interest with customers.
Is SA Group a public or private company?
SA Group is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was SA Group founded?
SA Group was founded in 2000. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is SA Group based?
SA Group is headquartered in Noida, India, in the Asia region.
How does SA Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: freight Forwarding Services.
Who are SA Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Expeditors International, DHL Global Forwarding, Yusen Logistics and Kuehne+Nagel. Emerging players are Kerry Logistics and Vanguard Logistics Services. Direct peers are Skyways Group, Continental Carriers and Allcargo Logistics. Transport Corporation of India is listed as a regional player.
Does SA Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for SA Group.
What industry is SA Group in?
SA Group's product category is Freight Forwarding Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACAAAB, Air Consolidation & Deconsolidation (Consols, Master/House AWB), with a secondary code of TLACALAB, Air Freight Consolidation (Air Consol). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4522.