Frete

What Frete does

Frete Logistics International (FRETE) is a private Indian freight forwarding and logistics agency founded in early 2016 and headquartered in Cochin, Kerala. The company acts as an intermediary between shippers and major ocean carriers (MAERSK, EVERGREEN, MSC, WANHAI, OOCL, K-LINE, HAPAG-LLOYD, YANGMING, PIL, NYK, CMA CGM, ZIM) and airlines (Air China, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, East Airways, UAE Airline), offering ocean freight, LCL consolidation, air freight, warehousing and distribution, customs clearance, project cargo transport, dangerous goods handling (nine IATA classes), and special container services (reefer, open-top, tank, car, flatrack). It maintains agent offices across India, China, Japan, USA, Europe, and the Middle East, with a customs broker network covering Cochin, Tuticorin, Chennai, Mumbai, Tirupur, Gujarat, Delhi, and Vishakapatnam ports.

Frete's revenue model is transaction-based: per-shipment fees for freight forwarding (W/M basis), a fixed INR 3,000+ tax per console filing, customs brokerage fees, warehousing charges, and value-added fees for EX-WORKS, FOB, CIF, C&F, DDU, and DDP arrangements. Pricing is quote-based, varying by cargo type, weight, route, and service level. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, direct outreach, and the founder's professional network; digital channels are limited to the company website (frete.in) and direct phone/email/Skype contact. Named customers are predominantly Kerala- and UAE-region mid-sized trading houses (KL ABDUL SATHAR & SONS, NKA FRUITS, MEGATRADE, MALABAR TRADING COMPANY, OASIS, KMT, DEENARI).

From a technology standpoint, Frete operates without any proprietary platform: the firm relies on established industry practices, carrier relationships, and manual coordination of shipping, customs, and warehousing workflows. The company holds no patents, has no app presence, exposes no API, and reports no AI/ML or automation capabilities. Its primary differentiation rests on long-tenured carrier and customs broker relationships, Ministry of Commerce recognition, and personalized service delivery rather than technology leadership.

Name

Frete

Legal name

Frete Logistics International

Website

https://frete.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Frete Logistics International is an India-based freight forwarding agency founded in 2016 in Cochin, Kerala, offering ocean, air, LCL, warehousing, customs clearance, and project cargo services to importers, exporters, and regional trading companies across South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Dangerous Goods (DGR) Air Freight Forwarding (Hazmat Compliance & Handling) (TLACAAAF)

Keywords

• Freight forwarding services
• Ocean freight shipping
• Air freight logistics
• Customs brokerage services
• Warehousing and distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Cochin

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: The company generates revenue through freight forwarding fees for ocean freight, air freight, and LCL (Less than Container Load) services. They charge based on Weight (W) or Measurement (M) basis (W/M rate), known as freight tonne for LCL and break bulk cargo. Additional revenue comes from customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, and transportation services.
2. Console Tariff Services: Revenue from console filing services with a standard charge of INR 3000+Tax per shipment.
3. Warehousing and Distribution: Charges for logistics warehousing and distribution services including storage, packaging, palletizing, container loading/unloading, and goods distribution for various packaging forms of non-dangerous goods.
4. Customs Brokerage Services: Customs clearance services including customs declaration, commodity inspection, phytosanitary, insurance, FORM A, C/O, and certificate of fumigation services.
5. Special Container Services: Transport services using special containers including open-top, flat container, frame container, reefer, tank containers for liquids, and car containers for vehicles.
6. VIP Customer Services: Premium services for VIP customers including EX-WORKS, FOB, CIF, C&F, DDU, DDP arrangements with customs clearance, trucking to destination port, and door-to-door service worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Frete is a logistics and freight forwarding agency that arranges international and domestic air freight, ocean freight (FCL/LCL), warehousing and distribution, customs clearance, transportation of project and dangerous goods, and special container transport for importers, exporters, and trading companies across India and global trade lanes. The company earns revenue per shipment or consignment, coordinating with major shipping lines (MAERSK, MSC, Evergreen, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL, etc.) and airlines (Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Emirates/Etihad) through its Cochin headquarters and overseas agent offices.

Product overview

Frete is a logistics and freight forwarding company offering a comprehensive suite of international shipping services. The company operates as a single unified service offering without a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include Ocean Freight (partnered with major shipping lines like MAERSK, Evergreen, MSC), Air Freight (with airlines including Air China, Cathay Pacific), LCL Consolidation Services, Warehousing and Distribution, Transportation and Project Cargos (including special container handling), Dangerous Goods handling (classified into nine categories), and Customs Clearance Services. Additional offerings include Customer Value-Added Services (EX-WORKS, FOB, CIF through door-to-door) and Console Tariff services. The company focuses on routes between India, China, Japan, Korea, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, America, and Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Freight International sea freight services for bulk cargo and full containers across trade routes to the Middle East, China, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Far East, Red Sea, Europe, America, and Africa. Long-term carrier relationships with MAERSK, EVERGREEN, MSC, WANHAI, OOCL, K-LINE, HAPAG-LLOYD, YANGMING, PIL, NYK, CMA CGM, and ZIM provide access to space allocation and rates for importers and exporters.
• LCL (Less than Container Load) Services Consolidated international trade agency services for smaller shipments, including export license arrangement, customs brokerage, commodity inspection, and timely pickup, booking, and customs broking from major Chinese ports (Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Huangpu, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen) to all major ports and inland cities worldwide.
• Air Freight One-stop air freight service for import and export between all major airports in India, China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, and the Far East, covering EX-INDIA procurement and reverse flows. Services include solution design, cargo pickup, manifesting, place booking, customs broking, supervision transport, cargo inspection, insurance, and real-time shipment tracking. Long-term partnerships with Air China, East Airways, UAE Airline, China Southern Airlines, and Cathay Pacific.
• Warehousing and Distribution Logistics warehousing and distribution for non-dangerous goods of various packaging forms, including shoes, nutrition and health care products, and electronics. Services include product packaging, palletization, storage of small pieces of cargo, weekend and nonworking-time operations, container loading and unloading, and goods distribution.
• Transportation and Project Cargos Special transport services using open-top containers, flat containers, and frame containers for oversized cargo, paired with customs broker coordination at Cochin, Tuticorin, Chennai, Mumbai, Tirupur, Gujarat, Delhi, and Vishakapatnam ports for EX-Works import and export customs declarations, commodity inspection, phytosanitary, insurance, FORM A, C/O, fumigation, and special cargo clearance.
• Dangerous Goods Handling Transportation, handling, storage, and supervision of dangerous goods classified into nine IMO categories: explosives, compressed and liquefied gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers and organic peroxides, toxic and infectious substances, radioactive materials, corrosive products, and miscellaneous including lithium batteries.
• Customs Clearance Services Domestic and overseas customs clearance including commodity inspection, phytosanitary certificates, fumigation certificates, FORM A, C/O documentation, and special cargo customs clearance for import and export shipments.
• Customer Value-Added Services End-to-end international trade arrangements including EX-WORKS, FOB, CIF, C&F, DDU, DDP, customs clearance, trucking to destination port, and door-to-door service worldwide, delivered under a VIP customer program.
• Console Tariff Services Console filing service for consolidated shipments at a standard charge of INR 3,000 plus tax per shipment.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MAERSKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strong relations with MAERSK shipping line for ocean freight services. FRETE works with MAERSK especially in the markets of India, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, South-East Asia, Middle East, Far East, Europe, America and Africa.
• EVERGREENcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strong relations with EVERGREEN shipping line for ocean freight services across major trade routes.
• MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strong relations with MSC shipping line for container and bulk cargo shipping services.
• WANHAIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strong relations with WANHAI shipping line for ocean freight services.
• OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strong relations with OOCL for container shipping services across Asia, Europe, and Americas.
• K-LINE (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term relations with K-LINE for shipping services in key Asian and international markets.
• HAPAG-LLOYDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term strong relations with HAPAG-LLOYD for global container shipping services.
• CMA CGMcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term relations with CMA CGM for container shipping services across major trade lanes.
• PIL (Pacific International Lines)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term relations with PIL for shipping services in Asian and international markets.
• ZIMcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term relations with ZIM for container shipping services.
• YANGMINGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term relations with YANGMING for shipping services.
• NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term relations with NYK Line for container shipping services.
• Air ChinacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstablished long-term friendly relations with Air China for air freight services. FRETE became their best agent in China.
• China Southern AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term friendly relations with China Southern Airlines for air freight services between China and India/worldwide.
• Cathay PacificcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term friendly relations with Cathay Pacific for air freight services.
• UAE Airline (Emirates/Etihad)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term friendly relations with UAE Airline for air freight services connecting Middle East.
• East AirwayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-term friendly relations with East Airways for air freight services.
• Customs Brokers NetworkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-term cooperated customs brokers in Cochin Port, Tuticorin, Chennai, Mumbai, Tirupur, Gujarat, Delhi, and Vishakapatnam ports for import/export customs declaration, commodity inspection, phytosanitary, insurance, FORM A, C/O, and fumigation certificate services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Maersk Logistics & Services: Owned division of Maersk offering end-to-end ocean and inland logistics including customs brokerage; serves as both a counterparty and a competitive threat to Frete, which relies on Maersk as a core carrier partner.

Broad incumbents

• DHL Global Forwarding (India): Global freight forwarding giant with full India presence offering ocean, air, customs, and DG handling; competes head-to-head with Frete on India-China and India-Middle East lanes while also servicing enterprise accounts.
• Kuehne+Nagel (India): Top-three global freight forwarder with strong India operations covering ocean, air, and overland logistics as part of a worldwide network; overlapping capability set but operating at enterprise scale.
• C.H. Robinson (India): US-listed global logistics provider with India presence offering ocean, air, and customs brokerage through a tech-enabled platform; competes for Indian import/export volume on similar SME and mid-market accounts.
• Expeditors International (India): US-headquartered global forwarder with India offices providing air and ocean freight forwarding plus customs brokerage, targeting the same Indian exporter/importer base with broader IT-enabled capabilities.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Technology-led freight forwarder building a digital platform for ocean, air, and customs services; an emerging threat to traditional India-based forwarders like Frete as it expands Asia lane coverage.

Direct peers

• Allcargo Logistics: Large Indian listed multimodal logistics provider with LCL consolidation, ocean freight, and project cargo services, serving as a scaled domestic analog of Frete's freight-forwarding-plus-warehousing model.
• Cogoport: Mumbai-headquartered digital freight forwarder providing ocean, air, and customs services to Indian importers and exporters, competing for the same SMB shipper base that Frete serves in Kerala and beyond.
• Freightwalla: India-based digital freight forwarder offering air, ocean, LCL, and customs brokerage services to SMB importers/exporters across India, overlapping directly with Frete's product suite and target SME trading-segment customers.

Regional players

• Kerry Logistics (India): Asia-headquartered freight forwarder with India operations providing ocean, air, LCL, and project cargo services comparable to Frete's mid-market India-Asia offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fretelogistics
• Facebookfacebook.com/fretelogisticsintl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Frete