DGFT Strengthens the Pre-Shipment Inspection and PSIC Process: Key Changes Effective August 2026.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has introduced a series of important enhancements to the Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency (PSIA) and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) process through Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27 dated August 25, 2026.

The latest changes represent another significant step towards the Government's objective of making the PSIA/PSIC framework more digital, transparent, traceable and compliance-oriented. The revised system reduces manual intervention in certificate generation, strengthens the linkage between the inspection and the PSIC, improves document authenticity and expands the digital evidence that can accompany an inspection.

The Trade Notice has been issued to all Pre-Shipment Inspection Agencies, members of trade and industry, and Customs authorities, with the approval of the Director General of Foreign Trade.

Background: Why the PSIA/PSIC System Matters?

The Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate is an important document in cases where imports are subject to pre-shipment inspection requirements. The certificate provides documentary evidence that the prescribed inspection process has been carried out by an authorised inspection agency.

Recognising the need to modernise this process, DGFT introduced electronic filing and recognition mechanisms for PSIAs and electronic issuance and verification of PSICs through Trade Notice No. 03/2022-23 dated April 26, 2022.

The objective was to move away from cumbersome manual processes and establish a digitally enabled system.

Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27 builds on that earlier digitalisation initiative. Instead of merely facilitating electronic documentation, the latest changes place greater emphasis on system-based compliance controls, data validation, document authenticity and traceability.

Six Major Changes Introduced by DGFT

The latest Trade Notice introduces six principal changes to the PSIA/PSIC module on the DGFT portal.

1. Standardisation of the Inspection Date

The date of inspection in the PSIC-generation process has now been standardised to the format:

• DD/MMM/YYYY

This seemingly simple change is important from a data-standardisation perspective. A common date format reduces ambiguity in interpreting inspection records and makes electronic documents more consistent. It also assists in maintaining uniform digital records for subsequent verification by stakeholders such as Customs authorities.

For example, an inspection date will be represented in a standardised format rather than through potentially different date representations. The standardisation is therefore part of the broader effort to create structured and machine-readable information within the PSIA/PSIC system.

2. PSIC Must Be Generated on the Date of Inspection

One of the most important changes is the introduction of a strict system restriction concerning the date on which a PSIC can be generated.

Under the enhanced process:

A PSIC can be generated and issued only on the actual date of inspection. The system will not permit a PSIA to generate or issue the PSIC on a subsequent date. This change strengthens the chronological connection between the physical inspection and the certificate. Previously, the possibility of generating a certificate after the inspection date could create a gap between the actual inspection event and the date on which the certificate was formally generated. The new system rule substantially reduces that possibility.

Compliance implications

PSIAs and inspectors will therefore need to ensure that the PSIC-generation process is completed on the inspection date itself. This makes operational planning particularly important. Any delay in uploading information, completing the required fields or generating the certificate could potentially prevent the PSIA from completing the PSIC process on a later date.

Accordingly, inspection agencies should review their internal procedures and ensure that inspectors and authorised users are adequately prepared to complete the electronic process within the prescribed timeline.

3. Digital Upload of Inspector Signature and Official Stamp

DGFT has introduced a facility through which authorised PSIA users can upload and maintain scanned signatures and official stamps. Once uploaded, the signature and stamp can be automatically embedded into the PSIC generated through the system. This eliminates the need for the traditional sequence of:

• generating the certificate;
• manually signing it;
• manually stamping it; and
• scanning and re-uploading the signed/stamped document.

The change is designed to make the PSIC process more efficient while simultaneously reducing manual handling.

Why this is significant?

Manual signing and stamping can introduce operational delays and document-quality issues. It can also create additional steps in an otherwise electronic workflow. The new functionality moves the process towards a more automated certificate-generation model.

At the same time, PSIA organisations will need to exercise appropriate internal controls over the uploaded signature and stamp images. Access to these facilities should be limited to authorised personnel because the digital signature/stamp forms part of an official inspection certificate.

4. Inspector Selection Through a System-Generated Dropdown

Another important enhancement concerns the identification of the inspector. During PSIC generation, the inspector will be required to select the inspector's name from a system-populated dropdown list. Once the inspector is selected, the relevant inspector details will be automatically populated by the system. This replaces or reduces the need for users to manually enter inspector information.

Benefits of the new approach

The change has several potential advantages:

• reduced manual data-entry errors;
• standardised inspector identification;
• improved consistency across PSIC records;
• easier verification of inspector details;
• better traceability of the person associated with the inspection; and
• reduced duplication or variation in inspector names and particulars.

The measure also strengthens the audit trail because the inspector's identity is connected to information already maintained within the DGFT system.

PSIAs should therefore ensure that inspector records maintained in the system are accurate and up to date.

5. Higher Limits for Inspection Photographs and Video

DGFT has also enhanced the permitted size and number of multimedia attachments that can accompany an inspection.

Photographs - The permissible number of inspection photographs has been increased from:

• 5 photographs 10 photographs

The maximum size permitted for each photograph is:

• 5 MB per photograph

Video - The permissible size of the mandatory inspection video has been increased from:

• 10 MB 50 MB

The permitted video formats remain:

• MP4
• AVI
• MTS
• MOV
• FLV
• WMV

The increased limits provide inspectors with greater capacity to upload visual evidence relating to the inspection.

Why the multimedia enhancement matters?

Photographs and video can provide important supporting evidence regarding the physical inspection of goods. Increasing the photograph limit from five to ten allows inspectors to capture a wider range of relevant aspects of an inspection. Similarly, increasing the video limit to 50 MB provides greater flexibility for submitting a more useful inspection recording. The enhancement is consistent with DGFT's broader objective of building stronger compliance mechanisms into the electronic system.

However, inspectors should ensure that uploaded photographs and videos are relevant, clear and appropriately connected with the inspection. Larger file limits should not be interpreted as an invitation to upload unnecessary material.

6. Country-Based Automatic Selection of Registered Instruments

The sixth major enhancement relates to instruments registered in the system. Under the revised process, once the country of inspection is selected, the system will make the registered instruments relevant to that country available through a dropdown list. After the appropriate instrument is selected, the corresponding instrument details will be automatically fetched from the system and displayed as read-only information.

This is another important move away from manual data entry.

Reduction of manual errors - When users manually enter instrument details, errors can occur through:

• typographical mistakes;
• incorrect instrument identification;
• inconsistent descriptions;
• outdated information; or
• accidental selection of incorrect particulars.

By linking the available instruments to the selected country and automatically fetching their details, DGFT is seeking to minimise such errors. The read-only presentation also means that the fetched information cannot simply be altered manually during the certificate-generation process.

The New PSIC Workflow: What Has Changed?

Taken together, the amendments indicate a clear shift towards a more controlled digital workflow. The enhanced process can broadly be understood as follows:

• Inspection Inspector identification Country selection Instrument selection Evidence upload System-generated details Digital signature/stamp PSIC generation on inspection date

Each stage increasingly relies on information already maintained within the system rather than manual data entry.

This has two important consequences:

• First, it should improve efficiency by reducing repetitive administrative work.
• Second, it increases the importance of maintaining accurate master data in the DGFT/PSIA system because information that is incorrect at the source may subsequently be automatically populated into the PSIC.

Procedure for Uploading Inspector Signature and Stamp

DGFT has specifically provided a process for uploading or updating the signature and official stamp associated with PSIA users. The procedure is as follows:

Step 1: Log in to the DGFT Portal - The authorised user must log in to the DGFT portal using valid credentials.

Step 2: Access the Relevant Service - Navigate through:

• Services Pre-Shipment Inspection Upload Scanned Signature & Stamp for PSIC Generation

Step 3: Select the PSIA User - Search for and select the PSIA user for whom the signature and stamp need to be uploaded or updated.

Step 4: Upload the Signature and Stamp - Upload the scanned signature and official stamp in the prescribed format and complete the submission process.

Once successfully maintained in the system, the relevant signature and stamp can be automatically embedded into PSICs generated through the module.

What PSIAs Should Do Now?

The latest Trade Notice requires PSIAs to pay greater attention to their internal operational processes. Agencies should consider undertaking the following measures:

• Verify inspector master data - Ensure that all relevant inspector details available in the system are correct and current.
• Upload and verify signatures and stamps - Authorised users should upload the required scanned signature and official stamp and verify that the information is correctly maintained.
• Train inspection personnel - Inspectors should be made aware that PSIC generation is now time-sensitive and must be completed on the date of inspection.
• Review inspection-day workflows - Agencies should ensure that inspectors have the necessary access, credentials, documentation and connectivity to complete the electronic process promptly.
• Prepare adequate photographic evidence - Since the system now permits up to ten photographs of 5 MB each, agencies can review their internal requirements for capturing and uploading relevant inspection photographs.
• Ensure compliant video recording - The mandatory inspection video should be prepared in one of the permitted formats and within the 50 MB size limit.
• Check country/instrument master data - Agencies should verify that registered instruments associated with relevant countries are correctly maintained in the system.
• Establish contingency procedures - Because the PSIC cannot subsequently be generated on a later date, agencies should have appropriate internal escalation procedures for technical or operational problems encountered on the inspection date.
• Implications for Importers and the Trade - Although many of the system changes directly affect PSIAs and inspectors, importers and other members of trade and industry may also be affected.

The enhanced system should make the PSIC process more structured and potentially more reliable. Importers can benefit from improved digital traceability and reduced dependence on manually processed certificates. At the same time, importers should recognise that the new system places greater emphasis on timely completion of the inspection documentation.

Where a PSIC is required for an import transaction, businesses should coordinate closely with the relevant PSIA and avoid assuming that certificate generation can simply be completed at a later stage. The new date restriction is particularly important from a supply-chain planning perspective.

Implications for Customs Authorities

The Trade Notice is also specifically addressed to Customs authorities. The stronger electronic controls may facilitate verification of PSIC-related information and provide Customs with greater confidence in the consistency of the certificate record. The combination of:

• standardised inspection dates;
• system-generated inspector information;
• digitally embedded signatures and stamps;
• structured instrument information;
• photographic evidence; and
• mandatory inspection video

creates a more comprehensive electronic record associated with the inspection. This should strengthen the evidentiary trail available for compliance and verification purposes.

A Broader Shift from Digitisation to Digital Compliance

The latest DGFT measures are significant because they go beyond simply replacing paper with electronic documents. The earlier digitalisation initiatives primarily sought to facilitate electronic filing, recognition and verification. The August 2026 enhancements go a step further by embedding compliance controls directly into the software workflow. The most notable example is the restriction that prevents a PSIC from being generated after the inspection date. Similarly, automatically populated inspector and instrument details reduce the scope for discretionary or inconsistent manual data entry.

This reflects a broader trend in trade administration: rather than relying exclusively on post-event scrutiny, regulatory authorities increasingly use technology to prevent non-compliant actions at the point of data entry or document generation.

Increased Accountability and Traceability

The enhanced PSIA/PSIC module is also likely to create a stronger audit trail. A digitally maintained record can connect several elements of the transaction:

• PSIA Inspector Date of Inspection Country Registered Instrument Inspection Evidence PSIC

Such interconnected data can make subsequent verification more efficient. For PSIAs, this means that the accuracy of information entered into the system becomes increasingly important. For regulators and Customs authorities, it potentially provides a more structured basis for verification.

Operational Challenges That PSIAs Should Anticipate

While the new system is intended to improve efficiency, the changes also create new operational responsibilities. The most significant issue is the requirement to generate the PSIC on the date of inspection. A PSIA may therefore need to address practical issues such as:

• internet connectivity at the inspection location;
• availability of authorised system users;
• inspector login and access problems;
• properly prepared photographs and video;
• correct system registration of inspectors;
• availability of relevant instruments in the dropdown list; and
• timely resolution of technical problems.

PSIAs should therefore consider treating PSIC generation as an integral part of the inspection workflow rather than as a separate administrative task that can be completed later.

DGFT Helpdesk and Support Channels

DGFT has advised users to contact the DGFT Helpdesk for assistance, guidance, issue resolution, suggestions and feedback concerning the PSIA/PSIC module. The available support channels specified in the Trade Notice are:

• DGFT Helpdesk Service: DGFT Website Services DGFT Helpdesk Service
• Toll-free helpline: 1800-572-1550 / 1800-111-550
• Email: [email protected]

Users encountering technical or process-related difficulties should use the prescribed support channels and retain relevant details of the issue for follow-up.

Key Takeaways at a Glance

The August 25, 2026 Trade Notice introduces the following principal changes:

Conclusion

DGFT Trade Notice No. 22/2026-27 dated August 25, 2026 marks another important stage in the digital transformation of India's Pre-Shipment Inspection framework. The changes are designed not merely to make the PSIA/PSIC process faster, but to make it more controlled, traceable, transparent and resistant to manual errors.

The requirement that PSICs be generated only on the date of inspection is particularly significant because it establishes a stronger real-time connection between the inspection event and the certificate. The automated embedding of signatures and stamps, system-based inspector selection, increased multimedia evidence capacity and automatic retrieval of registered instrument details further reinforce the digital character of the process.

For PSIAs, the key message is that inspection and PSIC generation must increasingly be treated as one integrated digital workflow. Agencies should ensure that their personnel, system data, digital signatures, stamps, inspection evidence and operational procedures are ready to comply with the enhanced requirements.

For importers and the wider trade community, the changes should lead to a more standardised and transparent certification environment, while also making timely coordination with PSIAs more important.

Overall, the August 2026 enhancements demonstrate DGFT's continuing movement from simple electronic documentation towards technology-enabled compliance management, where important regulatory checks are built directly into the digital system rather than being dependent solely on manual verification after the event.

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