Dangerous Goods Logistics in India: DG-Certified Packaging, Documentation & Transport
ClearFast specializes in the packaging, handling, and transport of dangerous goods worldwide, covering all 9 hazard classes under IATA and IMDG regulations. Dangerous goods shipments are handled exclusively by our DG-certified, trained staff, not folded into standard freight processes, where a single misclassified item can get an entire shipment rejected at origin.
This expertise matters most where it’s least optional: pharma shipments frequently include DG-classified items dry ice for temperature control, lithium batteries in diagnostic devices where a compliance mistake doesn’t just delay a shipment; it can breach a regulatory or supply commitment downstream.
Mission
To leverage our international partnerships, provide our customers with the best in Shipping and ensure their total satisfaction by developing good relations and highly responsive service standards.
Vision
To set standards of excellence in its service to its customers through total commitment to quality. Our commitment to customers is always our first priority. We believe in building long relationships with our customers.
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Our Clients
Our DG Packaging & Logistics Services
Classification & Documentation
We identify the correct UN number, proper shipping name, and hazard class for your material, and prepare the Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (DGD), the primary document required for DG air shipments, cross-checked against Safety Data Sheets (SDS) where applicable so customs and carrier documentation is aligned before the shipment moves.
Compliant Packaging & Labeling
Packaging is matched to UN-certified performance standards for the specific class and packing group, with correct hazard labels, handling marks, and, for containerized sea shipments, placarding that meets IMDG Code requirements.
Air & Sea Dangerous Goods Transport
Air DG shipments are handled under IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and ICAO Technical Instructions; sea shipments follow the IMDG Code, including container packing certification and segregation requirements. Both modes require separate certifications, and our team holds both rather than defaulting to a single-mode DG capability. For consolidated air or sea bookings involving DG cargo, see Air & Sea Cargo Consolidation.
Lithium Battery & Electronics Shipments
Lithium-ion (UN 3480) and lithium metal (UN 3090) batteries power everything from medical devices to industrial electronics, and are among the most commonly shipped and most commonly misdeclared DG items. We manage state-of-charge requirements, UN-specification packaging, and the lithium battery handling mark so shipments aren’t rejected at the point of carrier acceptance.
Dry Ice & Temperature-Controlled DG
Dry ice is a Class 9 dangerous good in its own right, frequently paired with pharma and biological shipments. See our Temperature Controlled Packaging & Logistics page for how we combine cold chain packaging with DG-compliant dry ice handling in a single shipment.
Why DG-Certified Handling Matters
What Slows Down Import Clearance
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Whether it's a single lithium-battery shipment or ongoing DG logistics support across multiple hazard classes, ClearFast's DG-certified team manages classification, packaging, documentation, and transport as one connected process.
The 9 Classes of Dangerous Goods We Handle
- Class 1 Explosives: Substances or articles capable of rapid combustion, detonation, or projection, including fireworks, ammunition, and blasting agents.
- Class 2 Gases: Compressed, liquefied, or dissolved gases under pressure, divided into flammable (e.g., propane), non-flammable/non-toxic (e.g., oxygen, nitrogen), and toxic gases.
- Class 3 Flammable Liquids: Liquids with a flash point low enough to ignite easily at normal handling temperatures, including fuels, paints, solvents, and many alcohol-based products.
- Class 4 Flammable Solids: Solid materials that ignite easily through friction or contact (4.1), substances liable to spontaneous combustion (4.2), and substances that emit flammable gas or ignite on contact with water (4.3).
- Class 5 Oxidizing Substances & Organic Peroxides: Substances that readily yield oxygen and can intensify the combustion of other materials (5.1), and organic peroxides that are thermally unstable and can decompose explosively (5.2).
- Class 6 Toxic & Infectious Substances: Substances liable to cause death or serious injury if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through skin (6.1), and materials known or suspected to contain pathogens, including certain biological and diagnostic specimens (6.2).
- Class 7 Radioactive Material: Material that emits ionizing radiation above defined activity thresholds, including medical isotopes, industrial radiography sources, and certain research materials.
- Class 8 Corrosive Substances: Substances that cause visible destruction of skin tissue on contact, or that severely corrode metal, including many industrial acids and alkaline cleaning agents.
- Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods: Substances and articles that present a hazard not covered by the other eight classes, most commonly lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries, dry ice, magnetized materials, and environmentally hazardous substances.
DG Logistics for Pharma & Healthcare Shipments
Pharma shipments carry DG risk more often than shippers expect, not just dry ice, but battery-powered diagnostic devices, certain reagents, and flammable solvents used in manufacturing. We work directly with our Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Products and Temperature Controlled Packaging & Logistics teams so DG compliance isn’t a separate conversation from cold chain integrity; both are handled by staff trained in each discipline.
Urgent Dangerous Goods Shipments
A time-critical DG shipment an urgent chemical sample, a battery-powered spare part a production line is waiting on is handled by the same DG-certified team through our NFO / AOG / Hand Carry Shipments service, rather than routed through a generalist urgent-courier process unfamiliar with DG documentation.
Why Shippers Choose ClearFast for Dangerous Goods Logistics
DG logistics in India is served by a mix of large multinational forwarders with dedicated hazmat divisions and boutique DG specialists who handle little else. ClearFast's position is built around integration:
- DG certification across all 9 classes, for both air (IATA DGR) and sea (IMDG Code), not a single-mode capability.
- DG customs documentation coordinated directly with our in-house Customs Brokerage team, so a correctly classified shipment doesn’t stall at clearance over a documentation mismatch.
- DG-compliant warehousing available through our Warehousing, Cold Chain & DG Warehousing service for segregated, compliant storage rather than generic space repurposed for hazardous cargo.
- The same DG-certified team handles both routine shipments and genuine emergencies (AOG parts, line-stoppage components), continuity that a boutique DG-only specialist or a large generalist forwarder’s hazmat desk often can’t offer together.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The UN classification system divides dangerous goods into 9 classes based on the primary hazard: Class 1 (Explosives), Class 2 (Gases), Class 3 (Flammable Liquids), Class 4 (Flammable Solids), Class 5 (Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides), Class 6 (Toxic and Infectious Substances), Class 7 (Radioactive Material), Class 8 (Corrosive Substances), and Class 9 (Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods, including lithium batteries and dry ice). Each class has its own packaging, labeling, and documentation requirements.
A Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods (DGD) is the primary compliance document for DG air shipments, certifying that the cargo has been correctly classified, packaged, marked, and labeled. It must be completed and signed by a trained individual and accompany the shipment through transit. Most DG shipments require one unless they qualify for an excepted or limited quantity exemption. We assess this as part of the classification process rather than assuming every DG shipment needs full documentation.
Yes, but under strict conditions: lithium-ion batteries generally must be shipped at no more than 30% state of charge, packed in UN-specification packaging, and labeled with the lithium battery handling mark, accompanied by a correctly completed Shipper’s Declaration. Rules vary depending on whether batteries are shipped alone, packed with equipment, or installed in equipment, and whether the flight carries passengers. We confirm the applicable requirement before booking rather than assuming a single rule covers every battery shipment.
Airlines and carriers conduct acceptance checks before loading, and a misclassified or improperly packaged DG shipment is typically refused at that point, resulting in delays, storage charges, and the need to re-document or re-pack before the shipment can move again. In more serious cases, incorrect DG handling can result in regulatory penalties. This is why DG classification and packaging is handled by dedicated, trained staff rather than as an extension of standard freight processing.