Strait of Hormuz crisis delays Indian exports and raises costs
Indian exports are hitting major roadblocks thanks to the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.
Shipments to Africa and Europe are taking much longer and costing a lot more: one exporter, Nuflower, says deliveries to Cameroon now take 95 days instead of 37.
On top of that, raw material and packaging costs have shot up by as much as 30%, while prices for key inputs such as peanuts, milk, and oil remain significantly higher than their January 2026 levels.
Akshat Khandelwal: shipments delayed, freight surging
Nuflower's founder and CEO Akshat Khandelwal shared that almost all shipments in the past four to five months have been delayed, making it tough for exporters to keep things running smoothly.
Freight rates have jumped too: sending goods to Sierra Leone now costs 115% more than before, and Guatemala saw a whopping 151.16% increase between March and August.
African routes are especially messy right now with vessel backlogs and skipped port calls slowing everything down.