What FTIR accessories really cost in India
"What does it cost?" is the first question every laboratory asks, and the honest answer for imported analytical accessories is: it depends on four things that move — configuration, exchange rate, duty treatment and freight. Here is exactly how the landed price of an FTIR accessory in India is built, so your budget estimate is right the first time.
Why there is no public price list
- Configuration drives price. "An ATR" is not a price-able item: a diamond crystal, a ZnSe crystal and a germanium crystal are materially different costs; heated top-plates, flow cells and reaction options change the figure again. The same is true of presses (tonnage, manual vs programmable), dies (diameter, material) and cells (pathlength, window material).
- Prices originate in sterling. Specac list prices are set in GBP; the INR figure moves with the exchange rate between quotation and order.
- Duty treatment varies by buyer. A commercial laboratory and a DSIR-registered research institution pay different effective duty on the same instrument — legitimately.
A published number would be wrong for most buyers most of the time. A firm quotation, valid for a stated period, is the accurate instrument — and ours turn around within one working day.
The landed-cost stack, explained
| Layer | What it is | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Ex-works price | The manufacturer's price for your exact configuration | Crystal/window material, tonnage, pathlength, options |
| Freight & insurance | UK to India, by air for most accessories | Weight and urgency; presses cost more to move than cells |
| Customs duty | Assessed on the CIF value per the applicable tariff classification | Correct HSN classification — and your institution's eligibility for concessional duty |
| IGST | Levied on the duty-inclusive value | Statutory rate for the classification; input credit may apply for commercial buyers |
| Distributor margin & support | Stocking, applications support, warranty handling, delivery | What separates an authorised channel from a freight forwarder |
Two of these layers are where buyers most often overpay: classification (a wrong HSN code quietly inflates duty) and duty eligibility (research institutions paying full commercial rates they were never required to pay). Both are compliance work — and our group includes a licensed customs broker, so both are done correctly as part of the supply, not as an afterthought.
How to budget before you have a quote
- Rank by configuration, not category. Within one product family, the configured options span a wide range — settle the technical specification first (our accessory selector gets you there in two questions), then price that.
- Build the indent on a budgetary quotation. We issue budgetary quotes laboratories use for administrative and financial approval — with validity stated, so the approved figure survives the procurement cycle.
- Research buyers: claim your basis. If your institution is public-funded or DSIR-recognised, say so at enquiry — the institutional discount and concessional duty belong in the budget figure from the start.
- Remember the consumables line. KBr, pelletising aids, replacement crystals and windows are recurring costs; we quote the accessory and its running consumables together on request.
What a complete enquiry looks like
One working day to a firm quotation, when the enquiry carries: the sample types and what the measurement must show; the spectrometer make and model; the accessory or technique in mind (or the problem, and we will specify); your institution category; and the delivery destination. Send it through the quotation form — or WhatsApp +91 88793 99488 with a photo of the setup and a line on the sample.