India highlights latest Customs reforms at Geneva meet

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), along with the Permanent Mission of India to the WTO in Geneva, organised special sessions on trade on the sidelines of the meeting of the Committee on Trade Facilitation at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The event on Tuesday comprised two focused sessions on trade facilitation and capacity building, highlighting India’s transformative reforms under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The programme was also held in the run-up to the 8th Trade Policy Review of India, due in July 2026. The event witnessed wide participation from WTO Members and Secretariat, with delegates from around 40 countries, reflecting strong interest in India’s experience and best practices, the statement said.

Having achieved compliance with WTO TFA commitments, India has moved towards “TFA Plus” measures under the National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP 3.0), aiming to go beyond the minimum requirements and align with evolving global best practices.

During the session on Trade Facilitation, the Indian Customs delegation highlighted its ‘whole-of-government approach’ in Customs reforms, and pioneering efforts in creating a faceless, contactless and paperless Customs ecosystem through extensive digitalisation and process re-engineering.

India has notified 100 per cent of its TFA commitments within the stipulated timelines. The progress reflects India’s sustained commitment to enhancing transparency, improving inter-agency coordination and simplifying cross-border trade procedures.

The CBIC showcased its advanced and indigenously developed systems, including the comprehensive customs automated system with single window interface, a robust risk management system (RMS) and the authorised economic operator (AEO) programme.

The session on capacity building underscored India’s proactive engagement in sharing its expertise with developing and least-developed countries, particularly from the Global South.

Through the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN), India conducts structured training programmes for officers of Indian and foreign customs administrations.