How to Get UN Certified DG Packaging in India

You've identified that your product is a dangerous good. You need UN-certified packaging to ship it by air. Now what? This is the part most guides skip — the actual process of getting compliant packaging for your specific product in India.

What You Need to Know Before You Call a Supplier

Before approaching any packaging supplier, you need three pieces of information: the UN number of your product, the packing group (I, II, or III), and the packing instruction from IATA DGR (or ADR/IMDG for surface transport). Without these, you can't verify whether a supplier's product is actually suitable for your application.

Get these from IATA DGR Table 4.2 (the DG list) or from a qualified DG consultant. Don't rely on the supplier to determine your packing group — that's your responsibility as the shipper.

The Testing Standards That Apply

UN packaging is tested against Chapter 6.1 of the UN Model Regulations. The tests are rigorous: a drop test (from 1.8m for PG I, 1.2m for PG II, 0.8m for PG III), a stacking test (24 hours under load equivalent to 3m stack height), a leakproof test for liquids, and hydraulic pressure tests for inner receptacles.

Temperature cycling tests apply for certain materials. If your product is shipped in extreme temperatures (common for India's summer conditions), the packaging must hold up across the full temperature range it will encounter.

Approved Test Laboratories in India

In India, UN packaging certification for domestic manufacturers is issued through CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) approved test laboratories. These include labs in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai. The lab tests the packaging and issues a test certificate — that certificate, along with the UN marking on the box itself, is what makes your packaging compliant.

If you're importing packaging from a foreign manufacturer, their certification from their home country's competent authority is generally acceptable. Ask for the original test report, not just a marketing certificate.

Common Package Types and Their Codes

• 1A1/1A2 — Steel drums (closed head / open head)
• 3A1/3A2 — Aluminium drums
• 4G — Fibreboard box (most commonly used for combination packages)
• 4H2 — Solid plastic box
• 6HA1 — Composite packaging, plastic receptacle in steel drum

The code on the package must match the code specified in your packing instruction. If PI 364 for your UN number specifies 4G/Y, only 4G boxes marked Y (suitable for PG II and III) will be accepted.

Combination Packaging — Understand the System

Most DG shipments use combination packaging: an outer UN-certified container with one or more inner receptacles. The inner receptacles (glass vials, plastic bottles, metal cans) do not themselves need UN certification — but the combination of inner plus outer is what gets tested as a system.

This means you can't swap out inner containers arbitrarily. If the test was done with 100ml glass vials and you switch to 150ml plastic bottles, the certification may no longer apply. When in doubt, ask the packaging manufacturer whether your specific inner packaging is covered by their test report.

Where to Source DG Packaging in India

Several manufacturers in India produce UN-certified packaging: companies in the industrial packaging hubs around Mumbai (Thane, Bhiwandi), Delhi NCR (Bahadurgarh), and Pune. For export-grade fibreboard boxes, look specifically for manufacturers who hold CPCB test certificates and can provide reports on request.

We can recommend suppliers based on your specific UN number and packing group if you reach out to us. It's faster than testing random suppliers yourself.