If you live in Dubai, London, Toronto or Singapore and your family is in Pune, Kochi or Noida, this guide is for you. You can order from us wherever you are. The one thing to know before you start: we deliver to addresses in India only. So the gift travels from our studio to your parents' door, not from your city to theirs, and that is exactly what makes it simple.
Below is how ordering from abroad works in practice, what to write in the address fields, how to add a message, when to order so it arrives before Diwali on Sunday 8 November, and a short list of pieces that travel well and land well. Everything we mention is in the Gifting collection or linked from it, and every price is the price today.
How ordering from abroad works
You shop the site as normal, from any country. At checkout the delivery address must be in India. The billing details are yours, the delivery details are theirs, and the two do not need to match.
- Shipping is free on every order within India. There is no minimum, so a single ₹399 bud vase ships free to Chennai just as a ₹1,999 kettle ships free to Chandigarh.
- Pay online, not on delivery. Cash on Delivery exists for orders within India, but for a gift it means your mother is handed a parcel and a bill at the same time. Choose one of the prepaid options shown at checkout.
- Use your own email address. The order confirmation and the tracking number come to you, so you can watch the parcel move from wherever you are and forward the link to whoever is at home.
Getting the Indian address right
Most delivery trouble on gift orders comes from the address, not the courier. A parcel addressed to "Mrs Sharma, near the temple" can wander. Five small habits fix almost all of it.
- Put the recipient's full name in the delivery name field, the name the building security or the neighbours know them by.
- Give the recipient's Indian mobile number, not yours. Couriers call before they arrive, and a foreign number is often not one they can dial. Tell the person that a call from an unknown number that week is probably the courier.
- Write the flat or house number, tower or block, society name and a landmark. Gated societies and large apartment complexes are where parcels most often stall at the gate.
- Double-check the PIN code. It decides the route. One wrong digit sends a parcel to the wrong sorting centre.
- Check who will be home. We deliver on business days, Monday to Friday. If your parents are travelling for the festival, send it to a sibling or a neighbour you trust instead.
Adding a message
You can add a gift note in the tote: mark the order as a gift and write your message. If you want a few lines to go with your order, email hello@modusandmood.com with your order number and your message soon after you order, and we will tell you what we can do before it is dispatched.
The Modus & Mood Gift Card is the exception. It comes in values from ₹500 to ₹5,000, and the product page lets you enter the recipient's name and email, a personal message, and a date to send it on. You can set it to arrive on Dhanteras morning without having to remember anything that day. Because it is delivered by email, it is also the answer if you are reading this very close to Diwali.
When to order for Diwali
Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November this year and Dhanteras on Friday 6 November. Here is the arithmetic from our shipping policy, so you can plan rather than guess:
- Orders placed before 2 pm India time are processed that business day. After 2 pm, they roll to the next business day.
- Orders are dispatched within 1 to 3 business days.
- Delivery within India takes 3 to 7 business days after dispatch.
- Nothing is dispatched or delivered on weekends or public holidays, and October has a few of those.
- Festive weeks are our busiest, and our policy is candid that shipments can slow down then.
Add those up and the longest routine journey is about ten business days, which lands roughly on 23 October if you want the parcel there by Dhanteras. Our honest advice is to order by the middle of October and treat anything later as a gamble with the calendar. If you miss that window, send the gift card.
The 2 pm cut-off is India time, which is easy to misread from abroad. This is roughly where it falls for you through most of October:
| Where you are | 2 pm in India is |
|---|---|
| Dubai, Abu Dhabi | 12:30 pm the same day |
| London | 9:30 am the same day |
| Singapore | 4:30 pm the same day |
| Sydney | 7:30 pm the same day |
| New York, Toronto | 4:30 am the same day |
| San Francisco | 1:30 am the same day |
Clocks change in the UK, Europe and North America in late October and early November, which moves these by an hour. If you are in North America, the easy rule is to order the evening before.
What to send
You will not be there to see it opened, so choose something that explains itself. Useful, handmade, and obviously chosen by someone who knows the house.
For the parents who have tea at four
The Chai Hour Cane-Handle Ceramic Kettle, ₹1,999, comes in Blue Floral, Sky Daisy, Yellow Tile and Pink Tile. The cane handle and the pattern make it the piece that stays out on the tray between pots. It is hand-wash only. Pair it with the Gulabi Heart Ceramic Cup & Saucer Set, ₹899, and the gift comes to ₹2,898. We hold one of each kettle design, so if one colourway has gone, pick another.
For the everyday table
The Leher Stripe Hand-Painted Ceramic Plates, ₹599 each, in Indigo, Mint Green, Scarlet Red and Marigold Yellow, and the Trellis Pattern Indigo Rim Dinner Plate, also ₹599. Hand-painted lines wander slightly from plate to plate, and that is the point. For a pair of mugs that gets used every morning, the Blue Heart and Nimbu Grove Lemon hand-painted mugs are ₹499 each, ₹998 for both.
For a sister, a cousin, a mother who likes something to wear
Ours is imitation jewellery: gold-toned plating over a metal base, with an anti-tarnish finish. It is light, it ships in a small parcel, and it is ready for Diwali night. The Petal Anti-Tarnish Stud Earrings are ₹699. The hand-beaded statement earrings, flamingo, rainbow, watermelon, scallop and flower, are ₹599. The Star Lariat Anti-Tarnish Set - Blue is ₹1,399. A pair of beaded earrings with the Double-Band Anti-Tarnish Cuff Bracelet at ₹699 comes to ₹1,298. Many designs have only one or two pieces, so order early. More in the imitation jewellery guide.
For a house with small children
Wool felt does not break in transit or in small hands. The Raja Hathi Embroidered Wool-Felt Elephant in Red, Rust or Black & Coral is ₹499. The zebra, the floppy-eared dog and the owl bell hangings are ₹699. An elephant and an owl bell hanging together are ₹1,198. Our wool felt guide explains why the material earns its place.
For the drinks tray
The Stackable Glass Tumblers in Amber, Cobalt Blue and Apple Green are ₹699 each, so four come to ₹2,796. The Ribbed Glass Tumbler - Clear is also ₹699. They are hand-wash pieces, and small bubbles are part of how they are made.
For when you do not know the room
Cotton cushion covers run ₹399 to ₹499, fold flat and cannot chip. The Dil Se Red Heart Ceramic Bud Vase at ₹399 is the smallest gift that still looks considered. And the gift card lets them choose for themselves.
If you want more to choose from, our Diwali gift guide covers the whole range, and there are shorter lists for gifts under ₹1,000 and gifts under ₹2,500.
When it arrives
Ask whoever receives it to open the parcel within a day or two. If anything arrives damaged, the recipient or you can raise it through the order tracking page or by email with the order number, and our returns policy covers damaged and incorrect items with a prepaid return label. Returns are open for 7 days from delivery, so a quick look matters more than it does for a gift you hand over yourself.
Handmade pieces also vary. A glaze pools a little deeper, a painted stripe drifts. That is not damage, and it is worth a line in your message so nobody at home wonders. Our ceramics care guide is a good link to forward with the tracking number.
Common questions
Can I order from outside India?
Yes. You can browse and place an order from anywhere, as long as the delivery address is in India. We do not ship to addresses outside India.
Is delivery free when I send a gift to my family?
Yes. Shipping is free on every order delivered within India, with no minimum order value.
Can I use my overseas address for billing and an Indian address for delivery?
Yes. Billing and delivery details are separate at checkout. Put your family's name, Indian mobile number and full address in the delivery fields.
Can I add a gift message?
Yes. Mark the order as a gift in the tote and write your message. Email hello@modusandmood.com with your order number and message soon after ordering and we will tell you what we can do. The gift card has its own message field and can be scheduled to arrive by email on a date you choose.
When should I order to arrive before Diwali?
Diwali is on 8 November and Dhanteras on 6 November. Dispatch takes 1 to 3 business days and delivery 3 to 7 business days, with no weekend or public holiday deliveries, so we suggest ordering by mid October.
Should I choose Cash on Delivery for a gift?
No. Cash on Delivery asks the recipient to pay when the parcel arrives. Pay online at checkout so the gift arrives fully paid.
What if something arrives broken?
Raise it within 7 days of delivery through the order tracking page or by email with the order number. For damaged or incorrect items, we provide a prepaid return label.
I have left it too late. What now?
Send the Modus & Mood Gift Card. It is delivered by email, comes in values from ₹500 to ₹5,000, and lets your family pick something themselves.
