© 2026 Observater Surveys and Services Group. All rights reserved.
Why Choose Observater for Your Indian Cargo Surveys?
Unmatched Nationwide Expertise
Our deep operational knowledge of India’s vast port ecosystem, from the container hubs of Mumbai and Mundra to the key terminals in Chennai and Kolkata, ensures your surveys and inspections are conducted with maximum efficiency.
Comprehensive Survey & Inspection Suite
From container inspections in JNPT, Mumbai to project cargo oversight in Gujarat, we are your single point of contact for every type of cargo survey and inspection, simplifying your logistics across India.
24/7 Availability of Surveyors Across India
Port operations don’t stop, and neither do we. Our teams of expert surveyors across India are available around the clock to respond to urgent requests and attend to your vessels and cargo at any time.
Our Core Expertise: Your Advocates in Indian Ports
Expert Bunker Surveys & Inspections
Our expert bunker surveyors provide precise and reliable bunker survey and inspection services across all Indian ports, including Mumbai and Chennai, for ship owners, charterers, and operators. Our surveyors ensure accurate fuel measurements during On-Hire/Off-Hire surveys, Bunker Quantity Surveys (BQS), and ROB checks to prevent disputes and control your most significant operational cost.
Independent Draft Surveys
As the internationally recognized method for bulk cargo weight determination, our independent draft surveys in India are essential. Our draft surveyors conduct thorough initial and final draft readings at ports like Mundra and Kandla to accurately establish the quantity of cargo loaded or discharged, providing you with a certified weight figure that protects against claims and shortages.
Cargo Tally & Discharge Surveys
Our experienced tally surveyors and cargo superintendents provide on-the-ground supervision for all discharge operations and inspections in India. In ports like Mumbai and Kolkata, our surveyors conduct a verified piece-count to prevent shortages of breakbulk, steel, and bagged cargo, and produce a comprehensive Outturn Survey report detailing the final quantity and condition of your goods upon arrival.
Specialist Cargo Damage Surveys & Inspections
When your cargo arrives damaged at any Indian port, our team of damage surveyors responds immediately. We conduct urgent joint surveys and inspections to investigate the cause, nature, and extent of the damage. Our detailed, evidence-based reports are a critical tool for any insurance claim, providing the impartial documentation needed to prove liability for incidents in Mumbai, Chennai, or any other port in India.
Loss Control and Claims Recovery Surveys
Our service extends beyond inspection. As expert loss control surveyors, we provide advice and claims recovery support across India. We help mitigate further damage, advise on salvage options, and use our survey findings to help you successfully recover your losses from liable third parties, ensuring your interests are protected from start to finish.
Pre-Shipment & Loading Surveys: Securing Your Exports from India
Mitigate risk and ensure your cargo meets all specifications before it leaves India. Our pre-shipment and loading surveys provide critical assurance to Shippers, Exporters, Insurers, Charterers, and Ship Owners. We act as your independent eyes and ears, verifying that your cargo’s quality, quantity, packaging, and securing meet all contractual requirements to prevent costly disputes on arrival. Our detailed, evidence-based reports provide the definitive record needed to protect your interests.
Comprehensive Export Cargo Support
Our expertise covers every type of export from Indian ports:
- Bulk & Breakbulk Cargo: Supervision of loading, draft surveys, and hold cleanliness.
- Containerized Cargo: Container condition inspection, stuffing supervision, and seal integrity verification.
- Project & Heavy Lift Cargo: Lashing, securing, and stowage plan verification (MWS).
- Commodities: Quality and quantity determination for agricultural and mineral products.
- Liquid & Gas Cargo: Tank inspection, sampling, and precise quantity measurement.
- Loose & Bagged Cargo: Tally supervision and condition monitoring during loading.
Your Gateway to Africa and Beyond
Leverage our unique global network for your exports from India. We have a robust presence across the African continent, with the capacity to attend discharge operations in key ports such as Djibouti, Mombasa, Beira, Maputo, Benin, Lagos, Dar es Salaam, and over 45 other ports in Africa. This allows us to offer seamless, end-to-end survey solutions. Our team will attend the loading in India and can also be present to witness discharge at African ports or any other destination worldwide.
This dual-point assurance provides an unbroken chain of custody and verification, guaranteeing cargo integrity throughout the entire voyage. It provides all stakeholders with the definitive documentation needed to eliminate claims and resolve any disputes on arrival, securing your supply chain from start to finish.
We are also available to facilitate seamless import processes from Africa and globally, through effective survey and support procedures.
Our Surveys in Photos
Our surveys in India are conducted by highly trained and experienced professionals, providing you with unparalleled on-the-ground expertise.
Cargo Damage Surveys
Container Inspections
Marine & Bunker Surveys
Steel & Breakbulk Cargo
Project Cargo & MWS
Commodity Surveys
Bulk Grain Operations
Bagged Cargo Discharge Tally
Draft & Weight Surveys
Container Terminal Operations
Stuffing & Lashing Supervision
Reefer Container Monitoring
Our Comprehensive Suite of Cargo Surveys in India
Container Cargo Surveys & Inspections
Full-cycle oversight for all containerized goods in India, ensuring integrity from seal to de-stuffing.
- ✓ Container Condition Surveys
- ✓ Stuffing & Lashing Supervision
- ✓ Cross-Stuffing & Transloading
- ✓ Container Stripping (De-stuffing)
- ✓ Seal Verification & Integrity Checks
- ✓ Reefer Container Monitoring
- ✓ Flexitank Fitting & Discharge
- ✓ Container Damage Surveys
- ✓ Cleanliness Inspections
- ✓ CSC Plate Verification
- ✓ On/Off Hire Container Surveys
- ✓ Cargo Tally during Stuffing/Stripping
Commodity Surveys & Inspections
Expert verification of quality and quantity for agricultural and mineral commodities throughout India.
- ✓ Pre-Shipment Inspection
- ✓ Quality & Quantity Verification
- ✓ Sampling & Analysis Coordination
- ✓ Weight Verification (Weighbridge)
- ✓ Bagging & Packaging Supervision
- ✓ Warehouse & Stockpile Audits
- ✓ Temperature & Moisture Control
- ✓ Fumigation Supervision
- ✓ Agricultural Product Grading
- ✓ Mineral & Ore Sampling
- ✓ Scrap Metal Inspections
- ✓ Loading/Discharge Supervision
Breakbulk & Project Cargo Surveys
Specialized oversight for non-containerized, high-value, and oversized cargo arriving at any port in India.
- ✓ Cargo Tally & Condition Surveys
- ✓ Discharge & Out-turn Surveys
- ✓ Volumetric Measurement Surveys
- ✓ Freight Calculation Surveys
- ✓ Steel Products (Coils, Plates, Pipes)
- ✓ Project Cargo Handling Supervision
- ✓ Heavy Lift Operations Oversight
- ✓ Marine Warranty Survey (MWS)
- ✓ Lashing & Securing Surveys
- ✓ Vessel Suitability Inspections
- ✓ Stowage Plan Verification
- ✓ Damage & Loss Control
Liquid Cargo & Petroleum Surveys
Precise measurement and loss control for all liquid bulk shipments at terminals across India.
- ✓ Tank Cleanliness Inspection
- ✓ First Foot & Pre-load Samples
- ✓ Ullage & Temperature Measurement
- ✓ API/ASTM Calculation
- ✓ Bunker Surveys (On/Off Hire)
- ✓ Shore Tank Gauging
- ✓ Pipeline & Hose Inspection
- ✓ Discharge & Loading Supervision
- ✓ ROB/OBQ Determination
- ✓ Sampling & Analysis Coordination
- ✓ Contamination Investigation
- ✓ Cargo Loss Control
Your Surveying Partner in the Ports of India
Expert, independent verification and loss prevention services for every type of cargo and marine survey across India.
Cargo Damage Surveys & Inspections in India
As leading cargo damage surveyors in India, we provide immediate, independent assessment when your cargo arrives damaged. Our expert surveyors conduct urgent on-site inspections and surveys in ports like Mumbai (JNPT) or Chennai to determine the cause, nature, and extent of the loss, issuing detailed, evidence-based reports that are critical for holding liable parties accountable and forming the foundation of any successful insurance claim.
Bunker & Draft Surveys in India
Protect your assets with certified, independent surveys in all Indian ports. Our bunker surveyors provide precise fuel quantity verification nationwide to prevent disputes. Our draft surveys deliver an internationally recognized, certified weight for bulk cargo, safeguarding you against claims of shortage. We are your trusted partner for accurate measurement from Mundra to Kolkata.
Loss Adjusting Surveys in India
As leading loss adjusting surveyors in India, we provide impartial, expert investigation and evaluation for complex insurance claims. We act as an independent third party to determine the cause and quantum of a loss, ensuring a fair and equitable settlement. Our role is to manage the claims process efficiently, mitigate losses, and provide clear, authoritative reporting to all stakeholders nationwide.
Maritime Claims Management & Surveys
Navigating cargo claims in India requires local expertise and relentless advocacy. Our claims management service, supported by our expert surveyors, handles the entire process on your behalf, from initial notification and survey to final recovery. We leverage our survey findings and deep knowledge of Indian maritime law to pursue your claim vigorously, ensuring you recover the maximum amount from liable parties.
Bulk & Breakbulk Tally Surveys in India
As India’s leading bulk and breakbulk tally surveyors, we prevent cargo loss at any Indian port with our thorough supervision services and inspections. Our experienced tally clerks provide a verified, independent count of all breakbulk, bagged, and steel cargo during loading and discharge. This crucial service establishes an accurate out-turn, prevents theft and shortages, and provides the definitive record needed to defend against claims.
Port Captaincy & Project Cargo Surveys
For high-value project cargo and complex operations across India, our Port Captains and MWS experts act as your on-the-ground project cargo surveyors. We provide end-to-end supervision, surveys, and inspections, from stowage planning and vessel suitability to lashing, loading, and discharge oversight, with specialized expertise in the industrial hubs of Gujarat and the East Coast.
Our Commitment to Quality: The Observater Standard
At Observater, we are committed to delivering unmatched precision and protecting our clients’ interests in every service we provide. Our groundbreaking program, Be Sure22, is a comprehensive initiative designed to ensure that you receive accurate, verifiable results and the highest level of service quality.
The Be Sure22 program represents our pledge to excellence. Recognizing the dynamic nature of marine surveying, we have developed this program to consistently train and empower our marine surveyors. Conducted four times a year, these training sessions keep our team at the forefront of industry advancements, covering the latest technologies, emerging global best practices, and anti-corruption measures to uphold the integrity of our operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you provide a surveyor at short notice in Mumbai?
Yes. Our 24/7 availability means we can deploy a surveyor to any terminal in Mumbai (JNPT) and other major Indian ports at very short notice to meet your urgent operational needs.
Do you offer services in other Indian ports besides Mumbai, like Mundra or Chennai?
Absolutely. We maintain a nationwide network of surveyors. Our services are available at all major Indian ports, including Mundra, Chennai, Kolkata, Kandla, and others. We are your single point of contact for surveys across the country.
What is the difference between a tally survey and an out-turn survey?
A tally survey is the process of counting each piece or unit of cargo as it is loaded onto or discharged from a vessel. An out-turn survey is a more comprehensive report created after discharge is complete, detailing the final count, condition of the cargo, and any damages or discrepancies noted during the operation.
Get Expert Oversight for Your Cargo in India
Ensure the quality, quantity, and safety of your cargo. Partner with India’s leading survey experts for unparalleled service and peace of mind. Contact our team for immediate assistance.
Contact Our India Desk Now