The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is planning to revamp customs procedures in the next leg of reforms after the goods and services tax. CBIC is creating an integrated system where all the interfaces will be on one system, and to give custom clearance in one hour to forty hours, which takes 3-4 days currently.
The CBIC, which comes under the finance ministry, is discussing measures to give major relief to traders mainly dealing in import-export. CBIC is creating a GSTN-like integrated system where all the interfaces, like trader interface, department interface, wildlife interfaces, regulatory interfaces and risk management interfaces will be on a single system.
A source close to development told Zee Media, “This integrated system will save time in giving clearance from customs in one hour for non-risky consignment. This integrated system has all the documents available in one place, so it is easy for officers to look into and save time”. Currently, it takes at least 3-4 days and even more in some cases.
An tax expert said, “The proposed integrated customs system marks a significant step toward modernising India’s trade infrastructure. By bringing all interfaces, such as trader, regulatory and departmental, onto a single digital platform powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, the initiative aims to drastically reduce clearance time and improve efficiency.”
“This reform has the potential to eliminate procedural bottlenecks, minimise manual intervention and enhance transparency in import export operations. If implemented effectively with strong data security and interagency coordination, it could redefine India’s trade facilitation framework and contribute meaningfully to the government’s vision of faster, technology-driven governance,” he added.
Another source told Zee Media, “The Director General of the system is creating this integrated system”. The source added that “several rounds of meetings have already been held, and soon the proposal will go for cabinet approval. This proposal may be part of the budget announcement as it requires Rs 300-400 crores of funds for creating system.”
A senior official who is working for this project told Zee Media “This system will be helpful in reducing manual interference in clearing consignment by customs, which is helpful in reducing complaints of deliberate delay”.
Another tax expert said, “The Customs Department’s plan to launch an integrated system ‘Customs 2.0’, a GST-like digital platform, marks a transformative step in India’s trade ecosystem. By bringing all customs interfaces onto a single, technology-driven system, the initiative aims to cut clearance times to as little as one hour, ushering in speed, transparency, and predictability in border operations.”
“For trade and industry, this means faster cargo movement, reduced compliance costs, and improved supply chain efficiency. If implemented effectively, this unified platform could be a pivotal enabler of India’s ‘Ease of Doing Business’ vision and significantly strengthen the country’s position as a trusted global trading hub.”
Finance Ministry’s comment is awaited; the copy will be updated after their comment.
A similar source further added that “This system will be a new age system with the use of Artificial intelligence and machine learning, which is the need of the hour”.
