CargoCover Advisory — Marine Insurance Guide

Marine Cargo Insurance for Indian Exporters: Complete Guide to Ports, Commodities & Coverage

Quick Answer

CargoCover Advisory is an authorized ICICI Lombard marine insurance agency that structures marine cargo insurance for Indian exporters, importers, and Customs House Agents (CHAs) across every major Indian port and inland container depot. Every policy includes 110% of CIF invoice value as standard, Institute Cargo Clause A (All Risks) as the base of cover, and War Clause and SRCC (Strikes, Riots & Civil Commotion) built in — covering commodities from rice and textiles to ceramics, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, seafood, and project cargo.

Every year, Indian exporters ship billions of dollars of cargo through ports from Mundra to Kolkata, moving commodities as varied as basmati rice, ceramic tiles, and pharmaceutical formulations to buyers across 190+ countries. Yet a large share of that cargo still ships underinsured, misdeclared, or covered by a generic policy that was never built for the route, the port, or the product actually being shipped. This guide covers exactly how marine cargo insurance works for Indian exporters — port by port, commodity by commodity — and how CargoCover Advisory structures cover that matches the real risk of each shipment.

In this guide

1. What marine cargo insurance covers · 2. Indian ports & ICDs CargoCover serves · 3. Commodities we insure (35+ categories) · 4. Manufacturing hubs & cities we work with · 5. Governing export councils · 6. Policy types: Open Policy vs STOP Policy · 7. FAQs · 8. Why CargoCover Advisory · 9. Explore our services · 10. Contact & author

1. What Does Marine Cargo Insurance Cover?

Marine cargo insurance protects goods against loss or damage while in transit — by sea, air, rail, or road — from the moment cargo leaves the exporter's warehouse to the moment it reaches the buyer's destination. Every Marine Open Cover policy structured by CargoCover Advisory is built on:

• 110% of CIF invoice value as standard insured value, not just the invoice amount
• Institute Cargo Clause A (All Risks) as the base of cover
• War Clause and SRCC (Strikes, Riots & Civil Commotion) clauses built in, not sold as a separate add-on
• Warehouse-to-warehouse cover, from the factory gate to the final destination
• Commodity-specific extensions such as Refrigeration Breakdown, General Average & Salvage Charges, and temperature-excursion cover, matched to what is actually being shipped

2. Indian Ports & ICDs CargoCover Advisory Serves

Marine insurance should reflect how cargo actually moves — not just where it starts. CargoCover Advisory structures policies for exporters shipping through:

• Mundra Port (Gujarat) — India's largest container port, serving Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh exporters
• JNPT / Nhava Sheva (Maharashtra) — India's busiest container gateway on the west coast
• Kandla / Deendayal Port (Gujarat) — India's leading bulk and break-bulk gateway for minerals and agro-commodities
• Chennai Port & Kamarajar (Ennore) Port (Tamil Nadu) — auto components, leather, textiles, granite
• Kolkata Port / Kolkata Dock System (West Bengal) — jute, tea, and North East & Bihar-origin cargo
• Tuticorin / V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tamil Nadu) — textiles, spices, seafood, granite
• Visakhapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh) — bulk minerals, pharma, seafood, engineering goods
• Kochi Port (Kerala) — tea, coffee, spices, seafood
• Kakinada & Krishnapatnam Ports (Andhra Pradesh) — rice, agro-commodities
• ICD Tughlakabad (Delhi/NCR), ICD Ludhiana (Punjab), and ICD Sanand (Gujarat) — inland container depots feeding cargo to the gateway ports by rail and road

3. Commodities CargoCover Advisory Insures

We structure commodity-specific marine cover — not a generic template — across the following categories:

Agriculture & Food Exports

Rice (basmati rice, non-basmati rice, parboiled rice, broken rice), spices (chilli, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper), tea, coffee, perishable cargo including fresh fruit, vegetables, onions, mangoes, grapes, and pomegranates, and animal feed exports (soybean meal, corn feed, DORB, oil cakes).

Textiles, Apparel & Leather

Textile exports, cotton yarn and yarn exports, fabric exports, garment exports, and leather product exports (finished leather, footwear, leather goods).

Ceramics, Granite & Natural Stone

Ceramic tile exports, sanitaryware exports, granite exports, and marble & natural stone exports.

Engineering, Industrial & Metals

Engineering goods exports, machinery exports, auto parts exports, and steel exports (TMT bars, pipes, coils).

Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals & Minerals

Pharmaceutical exports (formulations, APIs), chemical exports (basic chemicals, dyes, agrochemicals), plastic exports, and premium feldspar and quartz powder exports.

Furniture, Paper & Project Cargo

Furniture exports (wooden, iron, cane), paper exports (kraft paper, paperboard, newsprint), and project cargo (oversized and heavy-lift equipment for infrastructure projects).

4. Manufacturing Hubs & Cities We Work With

CargoCover Advisory structures policies for exporters based in India's key manufacturing and processing clusters, including:

Morbi (ceramics, sanitaryware) · Jodhpur (furniture) · Jaipur · Surat & Ahmedabad (textiles, chemicals) · Nashik & Lasalgaon (grapes, onions) · Ratnagiri & Devgad (Alphonso mango) · Solapur & Sangli (pomegranate) · Ludhiana (hosiery, engineering) · Tiruppur (knitwear) · Chennai & Ambur (leather) · Kanpur (leather) · Coimbatore (cotton yarn, machine tools) · Guntur (chilli) · Unjha (cumin, fennel) · Kochi (tea, coffee, seafood) · Coorg & Chikmagalur (coffee) · Jalore (granite) · Kota, Jodhpur & Udaipur (natural stone) · Jamshedpur, Rourkela & Bhilai (steel) · Angul, Korba & Renukoot (aluminium) · Hyderabad, Ahmedabad & Baddi (pharmaceuticals) · Ankleshwar, Vapi & Dahej (chemicals) · Veraval & Kakinada (seafood) · Anand (dairy) · Vadodara & Bhiwadi (solar equipment) · Delhi/NCR, Pune & Rajkot (engineering, auto components) · Indore, Madhya Pradesh (CargoCover Advisory's own headquarters).

5. Governing Export Promotion Councils We Work Alongside

Indian exporters registered with the following export promotion councils rely on CargoCover Advisory to structure marine cover matched to their sector:

• APEDA — rice, fresh fruits & vegetables, onions, mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, dairy, processed foods
• Spices Board of India — chilli, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, pepper
• Tea Board of India and Coffee Board of India
• Texprocil and AEPC — cotton textiles, fabric, garments
• Capexil — ceramics, sanitaryware, porcelain, granite, natural stone, paper
• EEPC India — engineering goods, machinery, auto parts, steel, aluminium, solar equipment
• Pharmexcil, Chemexcil, and Plexconcil — pharmaceuticals, chemicals, plastics
• EPCH — furniture and handicrafts
• CLE — leather and leather goods
• MPEDA — seafood and marine products
• PEPC — project cargo and turnkey exports

6. Which Marine Insurance Policy Do You Need?

Marine Open Policy (Annual Open Cover)

Covers cargo value on a per-shipment basis. Ideal for exporters who want every shipment automatically insured under one annual policy without buying fresh cover for each consignment, with periodical declarations submitted as shipments occur. View our Open Marine Policy Service.

Specific Voyage Policy

Covers a single, one-off shipment rather than ongoing cover — suited to occasional exporters or a specific high-value voyage. View our Specific Voyage Policy Service.

STOP Policy (Sales Turnover Policy)

Premium is based on projected annual sales turnover rather than shipment-by-shipment value. Best suited to large, high-volume, multi-location manufacturers, automatically covering exports, imports, domestic sales, inter-factory transfers, and job-work movement under a single policy with no per-shipment declarations.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

What is marine cargo insurance?

Marine cargo insurance is a policy that protects goods against loss or damage while in transit by sea, air, rail, or road, covering the full journey from the exporter's warehouse to the buyer's destination, including loading, ocean transit, and discharge.

What is the difference between Marine Open Policy and STOP Policy?

A Marine Open Policy calculates cover per shipment with periodical declarations. A STOP Policy calculates premium on annual sales turnover instead, removing the need for per-shipment declarations — better suited to high-volume, multi-location exporters.

Which Indian ports does CargoCover Advisory cover?

Mundra, JNPT (Nhava Sheva), Kandla, Chennai, Kolkata, Tuticorin, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, and Kakinada, along with inland container depots including ICD Tughlakabad, ICD Ludhiana, and ICD Sanand.

Does marine insurance cover shipment delay?

No. Standard Institute Cargo Clauses exclude loss or expense caused purely by delay, even when the delay is triggered by an insured peril such as bad weather or port congestion.

Is General Average covered under a marine policy?

Yes. CargoCover Advisory includes General Average and Salvage Charges cover as standard, protecting exporters even when their own cargo is undamaged but a General Average contribution is declared on the voyage.

8. Why Indian Exporters Choose CargoCover Advisory

CargoCover Advisory is an authorized ICICI Lombard marine insurance agency, and marine cargo insurance is not a side offering — it is the only business. That focus means:

• Free premium benchmarking against current market rates
• Policies structured around your actual commodity, packaging, port, and export route — not a generic template
• Annual Open Policy or STOP Policy structuring based on your shipment volume and business model
• Pre-sailing declaration support so nothing ships uninsured
• Dedicated claims support, from documentation to settlement, across every port and commodity listed above

9. Explore Our Services

View all services · View our products · Marine Insurance Advisory Services · Import Export Cargo Insurance · Inland Transit Insurance · Rail Transit Insurance · Marine Claim Rejection Guide · CHA Partner Programme

Exporting to a specific region? See our route-specific guides for UAE, Saudi Arabia, Europe, USA, and Africa (Kenya, Nigeria & South Africa).

Whatever you export, and whichever Indian port you ship from, your marine policy should reflect how your cargo actually travels. Connect with CargoCover Advisory for a free marine insurance policy review.

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About the Author

Ms. Ankita Agrawal is the CEO of CargoCover Advisory, an authorized ICICI Lombard marine insurance agency based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, specialising exclusively in marine cargo and transit insurance for Indian exporters, importers, CHAs, freight forwarders, and MSME businesses. Read more about CargoCover Advisory.

Contact CargoCover Advisory

Address: 47, Janki Nagar NX, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India – 452001
Phone / WhatsApp: +91-9967084520
Email: cargocoverindia@gmail.com
Website: www.cargocover.in
Contact page: www.cargocover.in/contact-us.htm