Ten suggestions for India to remake a customs regime that’s a legacy of the closed economy era
India requires a new, market-friendly customs law, replacing the outdated 1962 Act built on suspicion for a closed economy. The article champions import facilitation over command-and-control, proposing ten reforms. Key suggestions include making trade facilitation the norm, non-intrusive enforcement, deleting baggage rules, fixing gold policy, 90-day advance rulings, popularizing AEO, simplifying processes, rationalizing tariffs, and pragmatic deletions. The aim is to boost international trade by shifting from a punitive, control-oriented regime to a facilitative one, settling commercial disputes fiscally.
LiveMint · Manjunath A.N., Arjun Raghavendra M. · Jul 6, 2026 at 6:31 AM