Customs cooperation enables exchange of information to prevent and investigate customs offences while facilitating legitimate trade.
Agreement establishes a bilateral framework for customs cooperation and mutual administrative assistance to enable exchange of information and intelligence for prevention and investigation of customs offences, including data on customs valuation, tariff classification and origin, and enters into force from the first day of the month following signature by duly authorised representatives of both parties.

NPOP certification enables Indian organic products to access key foreign markets without additional certification and encourages mutual recognition talks.
Export of Indian organic products requires compliance with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) implemented by APEDA; production, processing, packing and labelling must meet NPOP standards. NPOP certification is recognised as equivalent by the European Union and Switzerland, permitting export of unprocessed plant products without additional certification and enabling UK access post-Brexit. Negotiations for Mutual Recognition Agreements with several importing countries are ongoing, and NPOP is recognised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for domestic trade, removing recertification requirements under covered bilateral agreements.

Expeditious customs clearance for COVID imports ensured through a dedicated CBIC helpdesk, online form and nodal escalation.
CBIC has set up a dedicated helpdesk, an online structured grievance form, an email address and a toll free number to secure expeditious customs clearance of COVID related imports and to clarify eligibility for duty exemption benefits. Zonal nodal officers are nominated for local resolution and Shri Gaurav Masaldan, Joint Secretary, is the central nodal officer for escalation via SMS/WhatsApp or email where issues remain unresolved.

COVID-19 Helpdesk for international trade provides a central mechanism to report, coordinate and track export/import issue resolutions.
A COVID-19 Helpdesk has been established to receive and coordinate resolution of international trade problems-covering import/export licensing, customs clearance delays, documentation and banking matters-by collecting stakeholder reports, liaising with relevant central and state agencies, and providing tracking of case status via the DGFT Helpdesk portal, email or toll-free phone with updates by status tracker, email and SMS.

Customs duty exemption on oxygen equipment boosts supply and reduces import costs; expedited clearance mandated.
Full exemption from Basic Customs Duty and health cess has been granted on imports of medical oxygen, oxygen production and storage plants, oxygen transport containers, concentrators and related accessories, ventilators, high-flow nasal devices and associated parts, and on imports of Covid vaccines; the Revenue Department is directed to ensure expedited customs clearance and has appointed a nodal officer for related clearance issues.

Processed food exports growth driven by APEDA promotion and facilitation measures despite pandemic disruptions.
Processed food exports rose by 26.51% in April-February 2020-21 despite COVID 19 disruptions, with major lines including pulses, processed vegetables, processed fruits and juices, groundnuts, guar gum, cereals preparations, milled products, alcoholic beverages and oil meals. Growth in value added categories exceeded forty percent for several products. APEDA attributes the export expansion to export facilitation and promotion measures - virtual buyer seller meets, product promotion webinars, product specific export forums, market access initiatives, MOUs with stakeholders, and financial assistance under the Agriculture and Processed Foods Export Promotion Scheme - and targeted promotion of GI registered products.

Vaccine import authorisation expands supply; vaccination opened to all adults and customs relief applied to key therapeutics.
Government is coordinating with States, hospitals and suppliers to ensure availability and distribution of vaccines, oxygen and therapeutics. Import of internationally certified vaccines is authorised and manufacturers receive advance support; vaccination eligibility expanded to all adults. Customs duty on a key antiviral injection has been waived and domestic quantities retained to boost availability. Idle oxygen manufacturing capacity is being identified for redeployment. Policy emphasis includes micro containment zones and continued consultation with industry for supply-chain and economic support measures.

Monetary policy stance maintained: accommodative posture retained to support durable growth while keeping inflation within target.
The MPC minutes record the statutory publication of the meeting proceedings and the unanimous resolution to keep the policy repo rate unchanged and to continue the accommodative stance until durable growth is secured while ensuring CPI inflation remains within the target band. The decision rests on an assessment of uneven global recovery, renewed COVID 19 risks, supply side inflationary pressures and moderate demand, with members favouring continued policy support, liquidity provision and market operations to preserve orderly financial conditions and noting a preference by some for state contingent over time based forward guidance.

Government support assurance for industry with targeted credit guarantees and logistic exemptions to secure pandemic supply chains.
Government assurance of industry support and targeted pandemic relief measures are set out, urging industry to assess short-term developments before calibrating business responses. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme support is extended to severely affected sectors including hospitality, aviation, travel and tourism. Administrative facilitation for medical oxygen logistics has been enacted by exempting inter-state movement of oxygen tankers from registration and permits, permitting round the clock operations and 24 hour cylinder filling, and allowing imports of medical oxygen to supplement domestic supply.

Export resilience: recovery in shipments driven by manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and diversified sector gains supports trade rebound.
India's external trade showed resilience during 2020-21 with overall exports contracting year on year but demonstrating a marked rebound by March driven by manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, chemicals and other sectoral gains. Petroleum products and gems & jewellery were principal contributors to the annual decline due mainly to global price drops and high import content, while several agricultural and processed goods recorded strong growth. The merchandise and combined trade deficits narrowed, and recovery prospects are linked to improved ease of doing business, plug and play manufacturing capacity, and production linked incentive schemes.

Trade remedies cooperation establishes framework for information exchange and capacity building between India and Bangladesh
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Director General of Trade Remedies, Republic of India, and the Bangladesh Trade & Tariff Commission creates a framework for cooperation on Trade Remedies, focusing on exchange of information, capacity building, and actions consistent with World Trade Organization rules for anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures to discourage unfair trade practices and promote rule-based bilateral trade.

Container availability improved through coordinated repositioning, rail concessions, demand matching portal and domestic manufacturing plans.
Coordination among the Logistics Division, shipping lines, exporters, ports and rail authorities secured repositioning of empty containers, expedited cargo clearance, and a demand supply matching portal; operational measures (reduced quarantine for certain ship arrivals, priority berthing, rail haulage concessions and waived stabling charges) lowered waiting times at ICDs and ports and, together with a four point contingency plan for international disruptions, improved planning and resilience. Parallel steps to establish domestic container manufacturing were initiated to reduce future reliance on foreign supplies.

Drug seizure at airport after profiling and X ray inspection uncovered concealed heroin in checked baggage, with presumptive testing confirming the substance.
Two arriving passengers were profiled and, after non-alert DFMD checks, their checked baggage produced suspicious X-ray images; detailed examination before independent witnesses revealed specially constructed cavities containing a total of 14 kg of white powder/granules provisionally identified as heroin by a Modified Drug Detection Kit, with representative samples tested and the passengers admitting involvement.

Trade balance shifts: March merchandise rebound alongside rising imports, overall yearly deficit narrowed though March deficit widened.
Merchandise exports surged in March 2021 with broad based positive performance across many commodity groups while March imports rose sharply; cumulatively April-March 2020-21 merchandise exports fell but imports fell more steeply, and non petroleum non gems exports registered a small annual gain. Services data are reported up to February 2021 with March estimated; services showed a modest contraction in receipts and payments year on year and a positive services surplus. Overall, the combined April-March 2020-21 trade deficit narrowed versus the prior year, though March merchandise deficit widened and March services figures remain provisional.

Exchange rate determination: revised customs conversion rates effective for import and export valuation under Customs Act.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs determines conversion exchange rates for specified foreign currencies, effective 16 April 2021, superseding the prior notification; distinct rates are prescribed for imported and exported goods in Schedule I (per unit currencies) and Schedule II (per 100 unit currencies) for use in customs valuation and related purposes.

Escrow-based electronic marketplace secures transactions between aqua farmers and buyers, enhancing traceability and formalisation and reducing middlemen.
e-SANTA is a paperless electronic marketplace where farmers list produce and buyers list requirements; after online negotiation an advance is paid and an estimated invoice issued, harvest is verified at farm-gate, delivery challan issued, final invoice generated at the processing plant, and the balance payment held and released by NaCSA acting as an escrow agent upon verification.

Trade facilitation enables instant mobile access to export-import services, easing procedures and real-time policy updates.
The Trade Facilitation App provides a mobile-first channel for exporters and importers to access DGFT services, centralising e-issuance of certificates, IEC portfolio tracking, application status alerts, item-wise export-import policy and statistics, QR-based document validation, and 24x7 AI assistance. It enables real-time trade policy updates, help-request tracking, a personalised trade dashboard, and supports paperless, automated processing and online inter-departmental data exchange to reduce transaction time and cost and improve transparency.

Liquidity support measures extended and enlarged to sustain targeted sectoral credit and strengthen intermediation nationwide.
Liquidity support measures extend TLTRO on Tap for six months and provide fresh special refinance facilities to all India financial institutions to support agriculture, housing and MSME lending. Regulatory changes raise payments banks' per customer balance limit, establish a committee to review ARCs, extend PSL classification for bank lending to NBFCs for on lending, and enhance loan limits against negotiable warehouse receipts. Reforms include revised WMA limits for states, creation of an annual Financial Inclusion Index, phased direct membership for regulated non bank payment operators in centralised payment systems, mandatory interoperability and higher limits for full KYC PPIs, and a one time relaxation on parking ECB proceeds in term deposits.

Production Linked Incentive schemes: performance linked incentives to boost domestic manufacturing, value addition and exports.
Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes grant sector specific incentives on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India to boost domestic value addition, reduce import dependence, foster backward integration and ancillarisation, support MSMEs, and promote exports. Implementation uses notified scheme guidelines, application rounds, appraisal and disbursement linked to measured incremental turnover, with differentiated incentive rates, investment expectations and outreach to global investors to create manufacturing scale, component ecosystems and employment.

BRICS financial cooperation advances coordinated COVID response, NDB priorities, social infrastructure financing and IMF quota coordination.
BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors under India's 2021 chairship advanced a cooperative financial agenda prioritising coordinated COVID 19 policy response and vaccine supply, New Development Bank activities and membership expansion, social infrastructure financing using digital technologies and private sector engagement, fintech for SMEs and financial inclusion, customs cooperation and information security, and coordinated BRICS input to the IMF 16th general review of quotas.