Direct credit of securities to investor demat accounts replaces LOC requirement, subject to DP attested CML and 30 day processing.
SEBI abolishes the requirement for issuance of a Letter of Confirmation and directs RTAs/issuer companies to verify investor service requests and initiate demat conversion requests to credit securities directly into the investor's demat account. The investor must supply a DP attested Client Master List not older than two months and a demat conversion request form. RTAs must complete credit within 30 days, notify the investor after confirmation, retain and deface physical certificates where available, and record lock in details when applicable; changes take effect April 02, 2026.

Designation of Central Assistant Public Information Officer for Chennai Customs Zone under the RTI Act appointed.
Designation under Sec 5(2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 appoints Smt. Kamakshi Muralidharan, Superintendent of Customs, as Central Assistant Public Information Officer for the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Zone, with the office address and telephone contact provided for public access.

Entry Inwards procedures enable cargo discharge immediately after berthing through remote verification of Pilot On Board vessel information.
Entry Inwards is delinked from completion of physical boarding formalities to reduce the interval between berthing and cargo discharge. After a vessel reports at the Pilot Station or the pilot is confirmed on board, relevant vessel details must be sent to the Customs Docks Office by port control, vessel traffic services, and the vessel or steamer agent. Following verification, the Boarding Officer may grant Entry Inwards in ICES by email, which authorises commencement of cargo discharge. Physical document verification and boarding checks continue, and discrepancies or misdeclarations remain subject to action under the Customs Act.

HSNS Cess accounting heads designated for payment, interest, penalty and other receipts to facilitate compliance.
Specific eight digit accounting head codes are prescribed for payments under the HSNS Cess: separate codes for cess receipts, interest, penalties and other payments. These codes are to be circulated to field formations, trade and the public to ensure correct allocation and accounting of remittances arising under the HSNS Cess levy.

HSNS Cess registration and payment procedure: portal enrolment, challan generation and electronic payment via ICEGATE required.
Registration and payment for HSNS Cess are effected via the CBIC taxpayer portal and ICEGATE. Taxpayers must enroll by PAN validation, obtain a 15 character ERN, complete Form HSNS REG 01 with business, premises, promoter, authorized signatory and bank details, upload prescribed documents, and receive a Temporary Registration Number used to access the dashboard. Monthly cess is paid electronically using generated challans (CTIN) selecting accounting codes (major head 0045) and payable via ICEGATE through NEFT/RTGS, net banking or payment gateway; payments produce system e receipts and challan status updates.

HSNS Cess registration and payment procedure on the CBIC taxpayer portal from 1 February 2026.
HSNS Cess application functionalities will be hosted on the designated CBIC taxpayer portal and made operational from 1 February 2026 for login, enrollment, registration and payment by taxable persons. The advisory provides step-by-step procedure for new registration and payment, with annexures for registration, payment and helpdesk support, and notes that separate advisories will follow for HSNS DEC-01 declarations and HSNS RET-01 returns.

IGST refund cases: verify PFMS bank validation and submit rejected Shipping Bills via ICEGATE or designated Customs email.
PFMS integration verifies AD Code and bank account details for IGST refund credits; failures due to improper AD Code or incorrect bank details produce PFMS error codes. An automated reversal returns failed transactions from PFMS to ICEGATE, and officers must follow ICES Advisory No. 18/2020 to process rejected Shipping Bills and generate fresh refund scrolls. Exporters should verify PFMS validation, update ICEGATE, and submit lists of affected Shipping Bills or those marked "Rejected" with port codes to the designated Customs email or Sevottam for rectification.

Authorized Economic Operator helpdesk established to expedite application processing and resolve deficiency-related applicant queries.
A dedicated Help Desk at the Export Commissionerate, Air Cargo Complex, Mumbai is established to assist stakeholders with AEO application filing and resolution of deficiency-related queries, with nominated officers available physically and by email; an escalation email is provided for unresolved grievances and the arrangement is declared a Standing Order for staff.

Sea Arrival Manifest compliance requires timely Bill of Lading data, replacing pre-entry supplementary manifest amendments with designated amendment messages.
Supplementary Import General Manifest amendments before Sea Entry Inwards are to be disabled from 20 February 2026. Timely House Bill of Lading declaration through Cargo Summary Notification messages is required so that Sea Arrival Manifests contain mandatory data for risk analysis and trade facilitation. Before Sea Entry Inwards, Bill of Lading additions or amendments must use Sea Arrival Amendment or Sea Cargo Amendment messages without officer routing. Post-entry amendments will require officer routing, with reasons for delayed inclusion potentially sought and supplementary amendment charges leviable under existing procedures.

Vessel berthing: Entry Inwards can be granted on pilot report enabling immediate unloading of cargo upon berthing.
Entry Inwards may be granted when the vessel reports at pilot station based on pilot boarding notification transmitted electronically by the Port Traffic Control Room, enabling immediate cargo discharge subject to submission of relevant documents and existing Advance IGM/Bill of Entry requirements; boarding officers will complete post berthing verifications and address any discrepancies even after Entry Inwards is granted.

Gold TRQ allocation under India UAE CEPA via e auction: 80MT second round with eligibility caps and bid security requirements.
DGFT invites competitive e auction bids for a second round allocation of gold TRQ under India-UAE CEPA for FY 2025 26 limited to 80 MT; TRQ authorisations will be valid six months. Eligible bidders must hold BIS hallmark registration and GST registration and comply with Annexure IV; MSME and other unit caps for the second round are 50 KG, 100 KG, 250 KG and 500 KG respectively, in addition to any first round allocations. The process requires online registration on MSTC, Class III digital signature, a participation fee and INR 100,000 bid security; financial bids use 51 price buckets and the EFC allocates quantities to Preferred Bidders who must pay for allotted TRQ or face forfeiture and sanctions for misconduct.

Brand Rate of Drawback applications must be processed by BRFC and approved by the Commissioner as the final determination.
All Brand Rate of Drawback applications must be processed by the Brand Rate Fixation Cell (BRFC), which shall scrutinize documents, obtain verification reports as required, apply prescribed risk parameters, prepare a checklist and a self-contained recommendation, return deficient claims for supplementation, and route verified proposals through proper channels. Final fixation/determination of Brand Rates must be submitted to and approved by the Commissioner of Customs under Rules 6 and 7 of the Drawback Rules, 2017, and that approval constitutes the final determination. A checklist sets conditions including port eligibility, timeliness, value relationships, export verification, certification requirements, shipping bill identifiers, and calculation worksheet verification.

Port clearance for vessels at Chennai and Kamarajar moves online; bonds, mandatory documents and seven day post sailing submissions required.
Advance and EDI Port Clearance for vessels calling Chennai and Kamarajar ports will be issued via an online portal; ASCs/ASAs must register, submit a one year continuity bond and undertaking, provide mandatory initial certificates to obtain advance clearance, and furnish remaining listed documents within seven days of sailing. The online workflow uses a three level officer verification system, issues deficiency memos for incomplete submissions, permits online amendment/extension/closure, and includes QR coded certificates; manual issuance continues until 02.03.2026 and the Notice is effective from 27.01.2026.

Annual inspection of Kolkata and Haldia terminals will assess infrastructure, security, hazardous goods handling and bonds.
Annual inspections of all privately operated terminals/berths at Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex will commence in FY 2027 28 (April-May). CFS Unit officers will inspect using Annexure I proforma covering staffing, bonds/insurance, infrastructure, security, hazardous goods handling, IT, cargo disposal and prior compliance; reports go to the Principal Commissioner/Commissioner of Customs (Port) and deficiencies may invite remedial or penal action under the Handling of Cargo in Customs Area Regulation, 2009 (as amended) and the Customs Act, 1962.

Customs Cargo Service Provider approval extends to shifted CFS with custodian duties, AEO-linked conditions, and bank guarantee waiver.
Approval is granted for shifting the Container Freight Station of M/s Hind Terminals Private Limited to a new location at Kalambusare Chirner Road, Chirner Village, Taluka Uran, District Raigad, and the premises are notified as a Customs Area. The entity is appointed as custodian of imported goods and export cargo at the new facility and is approved as a Customs Cargo Service Provider subject to compliance with the Customs Act, 1962 and the Handling of Cargo in Customs Areas Regulations, 2009. The approval is linked to AEO validity, bank guarantee conditions, review powers, and takes effect from 01.02.2026.

Customs area notification governs shifting of a container freight station and defines the new approved cargo handling premises.
Customs authorities notify the shifting of a Container Freight Station operated by M/s Hind Terminals Private Limited to a new site at Kalambusare Chirner Road, Chirner Village, Tal. Uran, District Raigad, Maharashtra. The new facility is approved as a proper place for unloading imported goods and loading export goods under the Customs Act, 1962. The limits of the customs area are separately defined by reference to surrounding roads and adjoining survey numbers, and the notice takes effect from 01.02.2026.

Illegal gratification demands in customs clearance must be refused, with statutory payments made online and complaints promptly reported.
Illegal gratification sought in the name of Customs Officers for facilitating goods clearance is prohibited. Trade participants must not pay Customs Brokers or intermediaries amounts attributed to officer demands or customs handling charges, as such payments may perpetuate corruption and entail penal consequences. Only applicable statutory duties, cess, fine, penalty and interest are collectible online through the Icegate portal. Demands, harassment or undue delay in clearance or official functions may be promptly reported with available evidence, and complaints are to be handled confidentially and examined or referred for action.

Lenient scrutiny for GSTAT appeals eases initial portal filing, limiting defects to substantive issues and relaxing form-based objections.
Lenient scrutiny is to be adopted by the Registry of each bench during the initial GSTAT portal filing phase, with defects of substance only to be raised for six months. Defects of form not affecting the merits of the case are not to be treated as scrutiny defects. Digitally generated documents from the GSTN system need not be certified, while scanned copies of physical documents attached with the appeal must be signed.

Wings India 2026: customs clearance permission at Begumpet Airport extended to 20 Jan-5 Feb, subject to required clearances.
Special permission for customs clearance support at Begumpet Airport for Wings India 2026 is modified to 20 January-5 February 2026 (instead of 23 January-30 January 2026) for a non-notified Customs Airport, and is conditional on observance of relevant rules, procedures and prior requisite clearances from concerned government departments and agencies.

Right to Information designation of the Central Public Information Officer for Chennai Air Cargo Commissionerate is notified under the Act.
Designation of the Central Public Information Officer for the Office of the Principal Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Air Cargo Commissionerate, is made under the Right to Information Act, 2005. M C Suresh, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Office of the Principal Commissioner of Customs, New Custom House, Meenambakkam, Chennai 600016, is identified as the Central Public Information Officer for Chennai Air Cargo Commissionerate. Y Srinivasa Rao, Additional Commissioner of Customs, Appraising Main - Chennai-VII, is also mentioned in the notice.