Apologies for the delayed reply. Here are the points you should consider. It might be too late to be of any use to you, but at least it might come in handy to others who come across this in the future: 1. Normally, you can import stuff worth only up to Rs 2000 without attracting duty. If the value exceeds that price, you are liable to a 41% duty AND a penalty (which could be as high as 25%). The penalty is because you tried to import the items without having an IEC (Import-Export Code). 2. In other words, if you want to import anything above Rs 2000, you have to approach a GOVT-AUTHORIZED importer \ Clearing & Forwarding Agent (who will have an IEC) and pay the duties through him. 3. The exception to the rule is if the item is marked as a "GIFT", in which case the limit increases to Rs 10,000. 4. Another exception is if the package is marked as a "COMMERCIAL SAMPLE" or "PROTOTYPE", in which case the limit is again Rs 10,000. In this case though, the goods must be supplied FREE OF CHARGE - ie, there should be no invoice, but rather an "estimate" of the value. Else, the package should be marked as "No Commercial Value". After considering the above options, your best bet is the following: 1. Have the package marked as a gift. 2. Understate the value to under Rs 10,000 - the lower, the better. Since the retards at Customs have little knowledge about high-end IEMs, you can easily get away by marking it as low as Rs 1000. 3. If you want to play it REALLY safe, ask the seller to discard the external packaging (the shiny outer box with all the marketing crap). This will make the shipment look even cheaper. To sum it up, in general, your shipment should follow these guidelines: 1. If the seller allows it, understate the value as low as possible. 2. If understating the value to less than Rs 2000 is not viable, have it marked as a "GIFT". 3. If neither of the options is available, make the parcel as small and discreet as possible. You should even go to the extent of breaking a single large order into multiple small shipments. 4. If your parcel is small enough, it will pass through Customs unmolested even if the value might happen to be high. This is especially true for non-metallic items. Metallic objects turn up in scanners and are therefore immediately noticed by them. 5. By following the above guidelines, the amount you'll pay in shipping will more than made up for by the cash you save in duty, not to mention the time wasted in multiple trips to the local Customs office. I say this from personal experience. We've also written a helpful guide about this, which you can find here: http://www.techtree.com/content/features/1500/all-you-need-to-know-about-importing-gadgets-online.html This article, combined with the information in the comments, should get you through the importing process with minimum damage.