India-Afghanistan trade relies on Chabahar, air corridors and rupee-based settlements to sustain commerce amid sanctions and instability.
The note focuses on sustaining India-Afghanistan trade and development cooperation via alternative corridors (Chabahar port, air freight, Zaranj-Delaram highway) and proposes operational priorities: trade diversification, full operationalization of regional transport projects, digital and educational cooperation, private sector engagement, and regional integration. It identifies legal-economic mitigation for sanction-related banking constraints-principally rupee-based trade settlement or barter mechanisms-alongside capacity building, humanitarian engagement without formal recognition, and multilateral coordination to address political instability, security risks, and infrastructure deficits. (AI Summary)

Airport export cargo handling services are taxable as airport services despite cargo-handling exclusion; administrative circulars cannot override statute.
Services of handling export cargo by the Airports Authority within airport premises are taxable as Airport Services under Section 65(105)(zzm) read with Section 66; the exclusion for handling of export cargo in the definition of Cargo Handling Service narrows that definitional category but does not prevent independent chargeability under the airport-services head, and administrative circulars cannot override express statutory charging provisions. (AI Summary)

Customs voluntary post-clearance revision allows importers and exporters to amend entries, self-assess duty, and claim refunds where applicable.
Section 18A permits authorised persons to submit an electronic application to revise bills of entry, shipping bills or comparable entries post-clearance, self-assess duties and interest, and, where excess duty is shown, treat the revision as a claim under section 27 for refund; the process requires payment of a prescribed fee, retention of records for five years, is limited to the port where duty was paid, and excludes cases subject to audit, investigation, search or seizure, with possible verification and reassessment by a proper officer. (AI Summary)

Third-party risk management: integrated governance reduces regulatory, cybersecurity, operational and reputational exposures.
Third-party relationships create compliance exposures across regulatory, security, operational, financial and reputational domains. Regulatory and legal non-compliance occurs when vendors fail to meet laws or industry standards, producing direct liability. Data security and cybersecurity risks arise from vendor access to sensitive information and weak controls, enabling breaches and malware propagation. Operational, contractual and supply-chain vulnerabilities include service outages, unclear contract terms, limited audit rights and unregulated subcontractors. Financial instability and strategic dependency on single vendors increase disruption risk, while ESG and misconduct by vendors damage the principal organisation's reputation. (AI Summary)

FTAs let SMEs import duty-free if Rules of Origin, Certificates of Origin, correct HS codes, and declarations are met.
FTAs permit importers to obtain reduced or zero customs duty by meeting Rules of Origin, presenting a valid Certificate of Origin, applying the correct HS Classification, declaring preferences at import clearance, and retaining supporting records; non-compliance or missed declaration results in loss of duty relief. (AI Summary)

SEBI shapes India's stock market by enforcing disclosure, policing manipulation, regulating intermediaries and modernising infrastructure.
SEBI ensures fair, efficient and transparent securities markets by pursuing Investor Protection, Market Regulation and Market Development: mandating issuer disclosures and corporate governance, supervising intermediaries through registration and conduct rules, enforcing prohibitions on insider trading and market manipulation via continuous surveillance and corrective tools, modernising infrastructure (dematerialisation, clearing, T+1 settlement), regulating algorithmic trading and operating investor redressal and education mechanisms to stabilise market cycles. (AI Summary)

India's major chambers coordinate policy advocacy, regional MSME support and export facilitation to integrate businesses with global markets.
FICCI, ASSOCHAM, PHDCCI and FIEO function as industry representative bodies engaging in policy advocacy and government collaboration to shape economic, industrial and trade policy. FICCI and ASSOCHAM act as national policy interlocutors; PHDCCI focuses on regional MSME development and policy implementation; and FIEO concentrates on export facilitation. They use research, trade missions, capacity building, and events to influence policy, support exporters and promote sustainability and compliance with international standards. (AI Summary)

Demo medical products retained by suppliers for repeated demonstrations do not require ITC reversal under GST.
Demo units retained in ownership and used repeatedly for business demonstration are not equivalent to Physicians Samples involving gratuitous permanent transfer; therefore issuance for demonstration constitutes legitimate business use and does not trigger reversal under Section 17(5)(h) of the CGST Act, with GST payable on eventual scrapping. (AI Summary)

Unjust enrichment restricts tax refunds unless claimants prove the tax burden was not passed on to others.
The document analyzes how refund entitlement under Customs and GST is constrained by the doctrine of unjust enrichment, requiring claimants to prove the tax or duty incidence was not passed on. It explains statutory verification mechanisms, evidentiary requirements, exceptions where the doctrine does not apply, and the routing of amounts hit by unjust enrichment to the Consumer Welfare Fund, emphasising the claimant's burdens and practical verification challenges. (AI Summary)

Requirement of written reasons: Blocking input tax credit invalid without specific, recorded belief linking taxpayer to fraud.
Blocking Input Tax Credit under Rule 86A is lawful only where the authorised officer records specific, written reasons to believe that the credit was fraudulently availed or is ineligible; reliance on generic alerts or an entry like "Supplier found non-functioning" without application of mind or linkage of facts to the assessee does not satisfy the statutory precondition and renders the restriction without jurisdiction. Authorities may initiate fresh proceedings only after recording requisite written reasons based on relevant material. (AI Summary)

Natural justice in Customs and GST ensures fair hearings, absence of bias, and reasoned orders in tax proceedings.
The doctrine of Natural Justice requires that adverse actions under Customs and GST be preceded by meaningful show cause notices, effective opportunity to reply or hearing, and impartial decision-making; speaking orders are required and digitized or faceless adjudication must still ensure notice, representation and assessment of prejudice, with limited statutory exceptions often followed by post-decisional hearings. (AI Summary)

Real estate appellate tribunal: appeals require 30% pre-deposit, 60-day limitation, and tribunal procedural powers and restrictions.
The appropriate government may establish Real Estate Appellate Tribunals headed by a High Court Judge and at least two members appointed via a Selection Committee; members serve five years with age limits and are removable or suspendable after a High Court inquiry for specified grounds. Appeals from Authority or adjudicating officer orders must be filed within a 60 day limitation (extendable) and promoter appeals require a pre deposit of at least 30% of penalties or payable amounts. The Tribunal is guided by natural justice, may regulate procedure, possesses specified CPC like powers, and must seek expeditious disposal, with authorised representatives allowed. (AI Summary)

Export promotion advancing policy advocacy and digital platforms to boost exporters' market access and compliance.
FIEO operates as India's apex export promotion body, using Policy Advocacy to influence customs, GST refunds, logistics, and incentives while providing market intelligence. It advances Export Promotion via trade fairs, buyer seller meets, capacity building, mentorship for new exporters and MSME support, and digital platforms for networking and virtual trade. FIEO also promotes compliance with international quality, labor and environmental standards, integrating export facilitation with sustainability and regulatory adherence. (AI Summary)

Industry chamber policy advocacy shapes regulatory reform and supports MSME competitiveness through capacity building and outreach.
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry operates as a representative industry body that engages in policy advocacy by providing inputs on taxation, labour law, trade policy and regulatory reform, convenes stakeholders through seminars and dialogues to shape business enabling reforms, promotes MSME competitiveness and startup support through capacity building and finance facilitation, and pursues CSR and sustainability initiatives via the PHD Rural Development Foundation to align economic promotion with inclusive development. (AI Summary)

ASSOCHAM promotes policy advocacy, trade facilitation, MSME support, skills alignment, and corporate sustainability for business growth.
ASSOCHAM engages with government on business regulation and economic policy through Policy Advocacy, organizing policy papers, seminars, and dialogues to promote reforms, trade facilitation, investment attraction, MSME support, skills alignment, and voluntary corporate social responsibility and sustainability practices. (AI Summary)

Going concern supply exempt under central notification when a business unit transfer includes all assets and liabilities.
Supply of a specific business unit with all assets and liabilities qualifies as a going concern for GST and, subject to the legal sustainability of the transaction documents, is exempt under the central notification that exempts transfer of a going concern as a whole or an independent part; the Authority refrained from classifying the transaction as a "slump sale" because GST contains no definition of that term. (AI Summary)

Policy advocacy shapes industry-government engagement, steering regulatory reform and business competitiveness and facilitates international trade partnerships.
FICCI operates as a primary vehicle for Policy Advocacy, engaging with government and regulators to propose reforms enhancing competitiveness and ease of doing business. It promotes trade and investment through international offices and delegations, provides research-based policy inputs, and facilitates partnerships among startups, corporates, and investors. Additionally, FICCI advances innovation, skill development, and CSR-driven sustainability projects to support inclusive economic growth. (AI Summary)

TR-6 challan not accepted as valid document for import IGST input tax credit; bill of entry reassessment required to claim credit.
The authority held that a TR-6 challan, alone or with SVB orders and authority letters, is not an eligible document for claiming input tax credit on import IGST; only a bill of entry or other documents prescribed under the Customs law qualify. ITC on IGST paid following reassessment is subject to the statutory time limit, with the period to claim credit beginning from the date of reassessment of the bill of entry, and importers should obtain bill of entry-wise reassessment where payment occurred via TR-6. (AI Summary)

Order rejecting plaint deemed a decree and thus appealable under the commercial appeals provision.
An order rejecting a plaint under Order VII Rule 11 constitutes a decree as a final adjudication within the meaning of the statutory definition and is therefore amenable to appeal under the commercial appeals provision; the proviso limiting appeals against interlocutory orders must be read harmoniously with the main appeal provision and does not exclude challenges to final rejections of plaints. (AI Summary)

Personal effects cannot be deemed commercial solely because of value; intent and lawful contravention must be shown.
Personal effects worn or carried by a traveller remain non commercial unless objective evidence shows intent to import for trade; value alone cannot convert personal property into commercial goods, and confiscation or punitive measures require a lawful contravention such as concealment, misdeclaration, or a statutory restriction. Redemption fines do not validate an unlawful seizure. (AI Summary)