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India has become a serious option for UK and US companies buying aluminium die castings, especially parts that need casting, machining and finishing from one supplier. The work is not hard to set up, but a few things are different from buying locally: lead times include an ocean, the paperwork matters, and quality has to be agreed in writing before the first shipment.
- Choose on capability and quality system, not price alone: machine range, in-house machining, lab equipment and export experience.
- Plan for three to four months from order to first production delivery on a new part, including four to six weeks of sea freight.
- Agree the Incoterm, documents and approval process up front, so the first shipment clears customs and goes straight into use.
Why buyers look to India for die castings
Three reasons come up most often. First, cost: engineering and labour make up a large share of a machined casting, and India is competitive on both. Second, capability: Maharashtra's automotive and industrial belt around Pune has a deep base of die casters, toolmakers and machine shops built to automotive standards. Third, diversification: many companies want a second region in their supply base, so a single disruption does not stop production.
India also makes communication easier than many low-cost regions. Engineering teams work in English, drawings follow international standards, and a working-day overlap exists with both the UK and the US.
What to check in an Indian die casting supplier
| Check | What good looks like | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Process range | Machine tonnage that suits your part, with headroom | Machine list with tonnage and make |
| Secondary operations | Machining, finishing and assembly in-house, not subcontracted | Shop-floor video or visit |
| Quality system | ISO 9001 as a minimum; IATF 16949 for automotive programmes | Certificate copy and scope |
| Metallurgy and testing | Spectrometer on every melt, degassing control, X-ray | Sample material test certificate and lab photos |
| Inspection | Defined checks at each stage, gauges on critical features | Sample inspection report and control plan |
| Export experience | Export licence, export packaging, known documentation | Reference customer and sample paperwork |
| Responsiveness | Clear answers within a day, named contacts | How they handle your RFQ |
How a supplier handles your RFQ is a good preview of how they will handle a problem in production. A quotation that comes back with questions about your critical features is a better sign than a fast price with no questions at all. Our RFQ checklist shows what to send to get a meaningful answer.
A realistic timeline for a new part
- Quotation and DFM review: a few days, depending on how complete the RFQ is.
- Tooling: a few weeks from a signed-off 3D model. At Alcast this is typically 6 to 10 weeks, depending on die size, complexity and cavity count, and 2 to 4 weeks for some simpler tools.
- T0 trial and samples: first shots, dimensional layout and first article inspection. Samples can be air-freighted to you in about a week.
- Approval: your sign-off of samples, plus PPAP or equivalent where required. This step often depends on the buyer's own testing time.
- Production and sea freight: a production batch, then typically four to six weeks port to port to the UK or the US East Coast.
Added up, three to four months from order to the first production delivery is a sensible plan for a new part. Repeat orders are faster, because only production and freight remain. Many buyers hold a few weeks of buffer stock, or use a blanket order with scheduled call-offs, so ocean transit never becomes a stock-out.
Transit times depend on routing. Disruptions such as the Red Sea diversions of recent years have added one to two weeks to some Asia–Europe sailings. Check current transit times with your forwarder when you plan the first shipment.
Incoterms: who pays for what
The Incoterm in your purchase order decides where responsibility passes from supplier to buyer. Under Incoterms 2020 the common choices for castings shipped from India are:
| Incoterm | Supplier handles | Buyer handles | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Goods packed and ready at the factory | Everything from the factory door, including Indian export clearance | Buyers with an India-based forwarder |
| FCA / FOB | Export clearance and delivery to the carrier or port | Ocean freight, insurance, import clearance and duty | Buyers with their own forwarder |
| CIF / CIP | Freight and minimum insurance to your port or place | Unloading, import clearance and duty | Buyers who want a simple freight-inclusive price |
| DAP | Delivery to your premises, not unloaded | Import clearance and duty | Buyers who want door delivery |
| DDP | Delivery, import clearance and duty | Unloading | Buyers who want a fully landed price |
FOB is defined for sea freight only; for container shipments many forwarders recommend FCA. If you are not sure, ask for an ex-works price and a delivered price together and compare them with your forwarder's quote.
Duties and tariffs
Import duty depends on how your part is classified, and that depends on what it is. A general aluminium casting may fall under heading 7616 ("other articles of aluminium"), while a finished motor housing or pump body may be classified as a part of the machine it goes into. Your customs broker should confirm the commodity code before the first shipment.
- United Kingdom: the UK–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement has been in force since 15 July 2026 and reduces or removes UK tariffs on many Indian industrial goods. To claim the preferential rate, the goods must meet the agreement's rules of origin, and you will need the right proof of origin from the exporter.
- United States: US tariffs on aluminium products and on imports from India have changed several times recently. Check the current rate for your HTS code, including any applicable Section 232 duties assessed on the full customs value, before you compare landed costs.
Shipping documents you should receive
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air)
- Certificate or statement of origin, especially if you claim a preferential tariff
- Material test certificate showing the alloy chemistry of the batch
- Inspection report for the shipped lot
Agree the list before the first shipment, including how documents are named and sent, so your goods-in and customs teams know what to expect.
Managing quality from another continent
Distance makes it more important to agree quality in writing before production, because returning parts is slow and expensive. The tools are the same ones automotive buyers use everywhere:
- First article inspection on samples from the production tool, measured against every drawing dimension.
- PPAP or an equivalent approval for production programmes. See our guide to PPAP for die castings.
- An agreed control plan that lists which features are checked, how and how often.
- Boundary samples for cosmetic standards, so "acceptable surface" means the same thing in both countries.
- Pre-shipment inspection by your own team or a third party for the first few lots, if you want extra assurance.
Communication and time zones
India Standard Time is 4.5 hours ahead of the UK in summer and 5.5 hours in winter, so an Indian afternoon overlaps a UK morning. For the US East Coast the difference is 9.5 or 10.5 hours, which means a US evening call reaches an Indian morning. Many buyers settle into a rhythm: questions sent at the end of their day, answers waiting the next morning.
At Alcast we work 8:00 am to 6:00 pm IST, every day, and reply to every enquiry within 24 hours.
Visiting the factory
Most buyers visit once a programme is running, and some before the first order. Our plant is in the MIDC industrial area of Satara, Maharashtra, about 2 km from the Mumbai–Bengaluru highway (NH48) and roughly 120 km from Pune airport. If a visit is not practical yet, we can walk you through the shop floor and quality lab on a video call.
For market-specific details, see our pages for UK buyers, European buyers and US buyers.
References
Official sources checked on . These sources explain the rules referenced in this guide. Confirm the classification, applicable rate and current requirements for your specific shipment with your customs adviser.
- UK Parliament: UK–India CETA entry into force — Ministerial statement dated 15 July 2026 confirming entry into force.
- European Commission: CBAM definitive regime — Definitive regime from 1 January 2026 and the 50-tonne threshold.
- HMRC: Prepare for UK CBAM — UK implementation from 1 January 2027, with links to scope and importer guidance. Updated 9 September 2026.
- US Customs and Border Protection: Section 232 technical corrections — CBP bulletin of 6 May 2026 explaining the April 2026 full-customs-value rules and technical corrections.
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The people who run melting, casting, machining and inspection across our four units in Satara, Maharashtra, making aluminium die castings since 2009. Ask us a question.
