Foreign currency accounts by residents: regulated account types, eligibility and mandatory conversion and holding conditions.
The Regulations define permissible foreign currency account types that a person resident in India may open or maintain with authorised dealers in India or outside India, specify eligibility categories (including exporters, SEZ units, project offices, ship manning agencies, organisers of international events and persons raising external commercial borrowings), set account forms and permitted credits/debits, prohibit credit facilities against certain balances, and require monthly conversion of accruals into rupees by the end of the succeeding calendar month unless used for approved purposes, with operational duties on Authorised Dealers and provisions for transfer of balances on change of residential status.

Acquisition of immovable property abroad requires prior regulatory approval, subject to specified exceptions and company remittance limits.
Acquisition or transfer of immovable property outside India by a person resident in India requires prior approval of the Reserve Bank, subject to specified exceptions including gifts, inheritance, RFC-account-funded purchases, joint acquisition with a non-resident without outflow of Indian funds, and certain pre-1947 holdings; Indian companies with overseas offices may acquire property within prescribed remittance limits for initial and recurring expenses.

Settlement in beneficiary currency allowed when AD banks confirm customer, invoice, consent, bonafides and high risk jurisdiction checks.
AD Category I banks may permit settlement of export and import transactions in the beneficiary's currency where the contract/invoice is in a freely convertible currency, the exporter/importer is a customer of the AD bank, the beneficiary agrees to receive payment in its currency as full settlement, the AD bank is satisfied of the transaction's bonafides, and the counterparty is not from jurisdictions on the updated high risk/non cooperative list; these transactions exclude the ACU mechanism and are reflected in updated Master Directions on exports and imports.

Special Currency Basket value revised, altering rupee conversion rate effective January 25, 2016 under FEMA directions.
Revision of the Rupee value of the Special Currency Basket has been fixed effective January 25, 2016; AD Category I banks are to implement and notify constituents. The directions are issued under FEMA, relying on sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Act, and apply to transactions under the Deferred Payment Protocols between India and the erstwhile USSR.

Manufacturer exporter status verification now requires independent proof to the relevant authority under public notice procedures.
The corrigendum removes the additional documentary requirement at S.L. No. 7 of Trade Notice No. 4/AM16 effective immediately to streamline IEC issuance and reduce transaction costs, while stipulating that any person or firm claiming manufacturer exporter status must independently prove that status to the relevant authority as required by sub clause (viii) of Public Notice No. 58.

Export permission for SCOMET items: authorised for stock-and-sale and spare parts subject to EUC and IMWG oversight.
Paragraph 2.79A permits export of SCOMET items from an Indian principal or wholly owned subsidiary to foreign subsidiaries, principal companies or warehouses for stock & sale after IMWG evaluation and on the basis of End User Certificates; further transfers require EUCs and prior submission to the licensing authority, with possible IMWG relaxation after Risk Assessment. Paragraph 2.79B allows IMWG to consider export permission for SCOMET spare parts together with the main equipment application if justified, avoiding a separate application and reducing transaction time and cost.

Electronic communication procedures: designated official emails and PDF attachments govern secure service, response, archiving, and audit trails.
Procedure mandates that the AO send statutory notices and orders from a departmental designation email with signed PDF attachments to the assessee's primary email (as per returns, company records, or furnished to the AO), while the assessee must reply from that primary email with supporting documents in PDF, follow specified subject line and pagination formats, forward any email error messages to the departmental audit mailbox, and ensure all communications are archived in the Department database and reflected on the e filing account.

Complete description of export goods required in shipping bills; non compliance may delay clearance and revoke benefits.
Exporters and customs brokers must declare a complete description of export goods in Shipping Bills and export invoices, detailing parameters affecting valuation (composition, grade, configuration, denier, GSM, size, type, brand, machine/handmade, and other attributes) and use the correct Standard Unit Quantity Codes (UQC) under the Customs Tariff Act. Failure to comply may lead to delayed clearance, cancellation of export promotion benefits, and consequential penal actions.

Excise duty refund procedure: file within the limitation period; submit certificate later and interest accrues only after prescribed post submission time.
Circular directs that beneficiaries seeking refund of excise duty on cars for physically handicapped persons should file refund applications within the prescribed limitation period even if the Line Ministry certificate is pending; processing officers must issue a deficiency memo where the certificate is absent and process and sanction refunds upon submission of the certificate, with interest payable only for the period beyond the prescribed post submission tolerance following receipt of the complete application with the certificate.

Customs Cargo Service Provider appointment permits road transshipment of import cargo from Mumbai ACC under statutory transshipment rules.
Approval appoints M/S. TT Aviation Handling Services Pvt. Ltd. as Customs Cargo Service Provider/Custodian to perform transshipment of import cargo by road via Customs Bonded Trucking from the Air Cargo Complex, Mumbai to designated ACCs and other ICDs for cargo of specified airlines, contingent on a security bond and bank guarantee, and governed by the statutory and regulatory provisions on transshipment, handling of cargo in customs areas, board circulars, public notices and other customs instructions, for a limited three year term.

Customs single window integration enables online agency NOC processing and lab-test workflows for streamlined trade clearances.
Extension of the Indian Customs Single Window creates an integrated electronic interface for lodging import and export clearance documents with Customs and obtaining regulatory permissions online. The system automates referral of Bills of Entry to agencies based on tariff heads, where agency officers record Release, Out-of-Scope, Reject, Withhold, or Provisional NOC decisions; Out of Charge follows only after required agency entries. A Lab Module enables online Test Memos, sample dispatch, and laboratory recording of results so Customs may act without physical reports; directory mapping and role assignments are to be managed locally while fees and document submission remain as per existing practice.

Car pass system governs cross border cargo vehicle movement between specified LCSs, requiring issued multi copy passes and verification.
A single use Car Pass issued in triplicate by Mahadipur Customs controls cargo vehicle movement to Sonamasjid LCS. The pass-bearing vehicle, driver/crew, cargo, document and seal details plus photographs and pre printed serials-must be signed and stamped by the issuing officer; original stays at Mahadipur, duplicate and triplicate accompany the vehicle. Destination Customs verify particulars, endorse return permission, retain the duplicate and return the triplicate; on return Mahadipur Customs reconcile the triplicate with the original and record re entry. Reciprocal procedure applies to Bangladeshi trucks.

Health Certificate requirement for Capsicum annuum and Nutmeg exports to EU: carry EIC-issued certificate and aflatoxin test reports.
Consignments of Capsicum annuum and Nutmeg exported from India to EU member states must be accompanied by a Health Certificate from the competent export certification authority confirming sampling and analysis for aflatoxins and showing compliance with EU legislation, with analytical test reports from the national spices testing authority attached; consignments departed before the regulation's entry into force are exempt.

Diplomatic cargo quarantine priority: diplomatic imports referred to quarantine for AQCS checks, with expedited processing required.
Clearance of Diplomatic Cargo containing livestock and livestock products must follow standard referral to quarantine authorities for AQCS checks and issuance of no objection certificates by Animal Quarantine Officers prior to clearance. Customs shall commence routine referrals of diplomatic consignments to quarantine authorities while according priority to AQCS clearances for Diplomatic Missions, modifying the earlier procedural provision to require commencement of referrals with expedited handling; implementation difficulties should be reported to the Principal Commissioner.

Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency re-enlistment restores two agencies in the Appendix, enabling their operation under FTP provisions.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20, re-enlists two Pre-Shipment Inspection Agencies-M/s. Olivine Commercial Pte. Ltd. and Sandeep Garg & Company-in Appendix 2G at Sl. Nos. 36 and 37, specifying their areas of operation and contact details and placing the re-enlistment in immediate effect until the stated cutoff date.

Electronic refund payment to claimants' bank accounts speeds rebate disbursement via RTGS/NEFT, subject to bank charges and authorization.
A facility to pay rebate and refund claims directly to the assessee's/exporter's bank account by electronic transfer is prescribed. Claimants must submit a one-time bank-certified authorization with a cancelled cheque for fresh claims, and provide copies for subsequent or pending claims. Refund sanctioning authorities will forward a signed beneficiary list, consolidated cheque, original authorizations, and a soft copy to the designated bank, which will credit claimant accounts via RTGS/NEFT after deducting applicable bank charges under Reserve Bank guidelines.

Online-only IEC submission required; applicants must use personal email and upload prescribed documents for issuance.
All fresh Importer Exporter Code (IEC) applications must be filed online and manual applications will not be accepted after the prescribed cut-off; online applications generate electronic IECs automatically. Applicants must supply their own email for communications and upload documents as specified in the DGFT Notification, with Manufacturer Exporters required to submit Industrial License/IEM Part II and Service Providers required to submit Service Tax Registration Certificate in addition to the Notification-prescribed documents.

Foreign trade training program announced: online course on policy, procedures and finance with concession and application deadline.
DGFT, through the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, is offering an online Foreign Trade Training program covering product and market identification, Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, and procedural matters relating to DGFT, Customs, banks and trade finance; the program is fee-based with a concession for deserving candidates, applicants must contact the Office of the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade in Pune via the provided contact details and submit responses by the advertised deadline, and an introductory in-person session in Pune may be arranged if sufficient interest is shown.

Trade facilitation measures: Pune DGFT discontinues hand delivery and mandates dispatch by speed post; urgent cases require office ID.
The Pune Regional Office institutes a personal-contact-free procedure: hand delivery of all document categories at counters is discontinued and all correspondence, including authorizations and deficiency letters, will be dispatched by Speed Post; in cases of absolute necessity or urgency, exporters/importers may approach the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade in person on production of the office-issued ID card.

Recovery of drawback: exporters must produce BRCs or negative statements to evidence realization or face show cause notices.
Recovery of drawback is required where export proceeds are not realized within the time allowed under the Foreign Exchange Management regime; exporters must produce BRCs, certificates or a certified negative statement from their AD/chartered accountant, AD wise for each six month period, using the BRC Module or ICEGATE to verify integration, failing which customs will issue notices and recover drawback.