India’s Cargo Forecast: 6.9 Million Tonnes by FY2030

By James Calloway

India’s air cargo volume is projected to rise from approximately 3.9 million tonnes in FY2026 to 6.9 million tonnes by FY2030, according to Makreo Research’s India Air Cargo and Express Logistics Market and Forecast to 2031.

Makreo attributes that growth to pharmaceutical and electronics exports, e-commerce shipments, new airport cargo hubs and transshipment reforms. The release names no regulator, legal change or timetable for those reforms. It gives no basis for judging when they will affect routing.

India is the sixth-largest air cargo market globally. Yet air freight contributes only about 0.06% of the country’s total freight activity, measured in tonne-kilometres. Pharmaceuticals, electronics, perishables and express shipments still require speed.

Vartika Singhal of Makreo said: “India’s air cargo opportunity lies in converting new airport capacity into higher throughput, stronger regional connectivity and more efficient express logistics networks.”

Makreo estimates airport cargo-handling infrastructure ran at 42.12% capacity utilisation in FY2023–24. Nominal capacity remained underused. The release gives no load factors, yields, flight frequencies, handling costs or turnaround times. It cannot connect forecast tonnage to operator margins.

The report also estimates revenue grew at a 1.30% compound annual rate from FY2023 to FY2026E, while physical volume grows faster. Makreo says the measures differ, but supplies no bridge. It does not quantify how price, cargo mix or service mix explains the divergence.

Current traffic remains concentrated

• Northern India accounts for 32.32% of air cargo and courier-services revenue, supported by international links, manufacturing clusters and e-commerce demand.
• Delhi Airport handled about 630,000 tonnes in H1 FY2027, 12.2% more year on year.
• Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai handled about 80% of India’s air cargo in 2024, according to IATA.
• Hyderabad Airport handled approximately 102,000 tonnes in H1 FY2027, up 5.8%, as pharmaceuticals and other time-sensitive shipments supported demand.

Concentration gives four mature gateways the largest traffic base. It also leaves regional airports dependent on connecting traffic and reliable schedules, while new capacity must attract shippers before it earns sustainable operating returns.

Pharma provides the clearest demand anchor

India’s pharmaceutical exports exceeded US$30.5 billion in FY2026, while pharmaceuticals accounted for nearly 70% of outbound air cargo shipments, with the United States and Europe serving as the principal destinations.

Hyderabad commissioned a second cargo terminal in May 2026, introducing a fully temperature-controlled pharmaceutical zone with 50,000 tonnes of initial annual capacity and room to expand to 100,000 tonnes. The first figure describes commissioned capability. The second remains an expansion option, not achieved throughput.

Express networks extend the addressable market

Domestic air cargo approached 1.5 million tonnes in FY2026. Tier-II and Tier-III cities generate more than 45% of online-shopping demand, increasing the need for regional air links and integrated road networks.

International express logistics remains export-heavy, with exports representing about 75–80% of shipments and daily export consignments reaching roughly 45,000–48,000 in FY2026, compared with about 12,000 imports. Makreo estimates technology-driven airfreight and multimodal services for smaller cities could grow by more than 20% annually. That remains a forecast.

Delhivery reported handling 325 million express parcels in Q2 FY2027, 32% more year on year. Blue Dart reported 15% revenue growth and an 85% increase in profit after tax in Q1 FY2027. These results indicate wider express momentum. Neither company disclosed an air-cargo tonnage split, so they cannot verify the market forecast.

Capacity exists, while much of the expansion is still planned

The release says India requires more than US$170 billion in aviation investment through 2030. That includes US$24 billion for airport expansion and US$150 billion for aircraft orders. It also expects another INR25,000 crore for airport cargo infrastructure over five to seven years. These are stated requirements and expectations, not proof of completed spending.

• Noida International Airport began operating in June 2026. Its initial annual cargo capacity is 200,000 tonnes, with an expansion option to 1.5 million tonnes.
• Navi Mumbai International Airport handled 11,853 tonnes from January through September 2026, including 6,477 tonnes of international freight.
• FedEx is developing a 300,000-square-foot automated hub at Navi Mumbai, backed by more than INR2,500 crore in long-term investment.
• The FedEx programme also includes a US$150 million Delhi facility designed to lift processing capacity from 600 to 5,000 packages an hour.
• Blue Dart Express opened a 250,000-square-foot multimodal hub in Delhi in January 2025. Its stated capacity is about 550,000 shipments a day.
• UPS SCS India nearly doubled Delhi–Cologne air cargo capacity in June 2025 by deploying a Boeing 747-8 freighter.

What does this change for cargo operators?

Pharmaceutical and electronics shippers gain a stronger case for dedicated cold-chain, specialised handling and reliable international links, while express integrators gain potential automation and regional throughput. Airport operators gain a reason to activate spare capacity before building more.

The likely operating response is clear. Airports must raise utilisation and regional connectivity; integrators must improve transshipment efficiency, automation and multimodal links.

The commercial gain remains conditional. Operators must turn freight windows into departures, reliable handling and competitive costs. The source gives no lease terms, yields, parcel-to-tonne conversion or regulatory timetable. It names no airline, lessor, MRO or regulator.

It gives no aircraft-order backlog, delivery schedules or service-level data for the new facilities. The release documents Boeing’s 747-8 deployment. It does not document related fleet expansion.

Makreo says its study covers 12 Indian cargo and express-logistics companies and profiles Blue Dart Express, DHL Express India, FedEx India and UPS SCS India.

The release advertises custom consulting, shipper surveys, route-level demand assessments, competitive benchmarking and infrastructure feasibility studies for market-entry, network-expansion and investment decisions. EIN Presswire carries the content “as is” and disclaims any warranty of accuracy or completeness.

The next test will come through operating records: utilisation above 42.12%, regional services beyond the four dominant gateways, and sustained throughput at Hyderabad, Noida, Navi Mumbai and the new express hubs.