Passenger satisfaction survey prompts recommendations to improve customs information, process speed and officer conduct.
A passenger satisfaction survey at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport evaluated customs clearance on information, behaviour and process, finding good comparative ratings but identifying gaps in information accessibility, payment options and transparency of duty assessment (notably for TVs and jewellery). The study links low awareness and limited use of official channels to reduced satisfaction and recommends digital outreach, alternative payment methods, pre-arrival self-assessment, dedicated lanes for connecting passengers, and officer training in communication and sensitivity to improve clearance times and perceptions.

Ease of Doing Business reforms streamline company registrations and regulatory clearances through single-window digital processes and fast-track approvals.
Ease of Doing Business reforms streamline business entry and compliance by removing archaic corporate formalities, enabling single-window electronic incorporation with concurrent PAN/TAN issuance, real-time online EPFO/ESIC registration and payments without mandatory bank-account requirements, broadening security-interest registration, and enacting the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to enable faster exits. Complementary digitization and integration of customs, municipal permitting, property records and electricity connections reduce physical submissions, implement common application workflows and digital signatures, and promote risk-based inspections and electronic clearances.

Trade liberalization: transition from barter to normal trade expands market access and tariff-free concessions under preferential trade framework.
India provided near-comprehensive duty-free market access under its Duty Free Tariff Preference and ASEAN-India arrangements and effected the transition from barter trade to normal trade, paired with liberal services access including a visa fee waiver for business and employment applicants. The measures are complemented by sectoral cooperation offers in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, IT and autos, commitments on infrastructure and border facility upgrades, and capacity-building and training to deepen bilateral commercial engagement.

Trade deficit narrows as merchandise and services figures show lower exports and sharper import declines.
Merchandise exports for April 2016 fell to US$ 20,568.85 million (down 6.74% year on year) while imports declined to US$ 25,413.72 million (down 23.10%); the provisional merchandise trade deficit narrowed to US$ 4,844.87 million. Services (March 2016, RBI) showed receipts of US$ 12,895 million and payments of US$ 7,905 million, yielding a services surplus of US$ 4,990 million. Overall trade deficit for April-March 2015-16 was provisionally US$ 48,869.16 million, lower than the previous year.

Black money measures broaden asset seizure and predicate offences, enabling equivalent value confiscation and expanded designated sectors.
Legislative and administrative measures target black money through a new Black Money Act, a domestic income disclosure scheme, and intensified enforcement including increased seizures and prosecutions. Amendments to PMLA expand the proceeds of crime definition to allow attachment of equivalent in country assets, add restoration mechanisms for legitimate claimants, and designate certain customs and tax evasion offences as predicate offences, while specified non financial actors were notified as designated businesses; FEMA amendments permit confiscation of in India value equivalents for foreign situated contraventions.

Export promotion: national awards highlight need to boost market share, improve standards and integrate with global value chains.
Presentation of national export awards recognised exporters and facilitating agencies while highlighting a decline in merchandise exports due to global demand contraction and relative strength in services exports. The Government's Foreign Trade Policy and FIEO measures aim to retain and expand market share by promoting goods and services exports, improving product standards, and integrating exporters into global value chains. FIEO's expanded membership, information portal, state-level support and small-exporter handholding were noted as key export-promotion mechanisms.

Landing certificate requirement removed under MEIS, extending market coverage to all countries and simplifying exporter compliance.
The Government removed the requirement to submit Landing Certificates under the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) effective 04.05.2016 and extended market coverage for 2,787 tariff lines to all countries, eliminating the need for proof of landing in designated markets and responding to exporter difficulties; the scheme's annual resource allocation was revised upward to reflect the broader coverage.

Public stockholding for food security preserved, Nairobi decisions reaffirm India's right to continue procurement while negotiations on permanent rules proceed.
The Government denies any WTO agreement obliging India to end Public Distribution System operations or agricultural subsidies, affirming MSP procurement and FCI storage remain unaffected. Nairobi Decisions reaffirm earlier public stockholding outcomes and preserve India's ability to continue procurement pending a permanent solution. The Ministerial also recognised a negotiating mandate for a Special Safeguard Mechanism for developing countries, with modalities to be negotiated and reviewed by the WTO General Council.

Transparency in governance expands: public EXIM trade dashboard enables interactive access to export import trends and port flows.
Launch of an interactive EXIM Analytics Dashboard to provide public access to graphical, queryable export import data promoting Transparency in Governance. The Dashboard offers Export Overview, Import Overview and Balance of Trade modules with month-level aggregation at country, commodity and port granularity, enabling drill-down from aggregate trade figures to top commodities, destination markets and port-level flows. Initial monthly data coverage extends from April 2014 through January 2016, with additional historical data and dashboards to be added progressively.

Trade Facilitation Agreement implementation to streamline border procedures and involve industry consultation for national compliance.
Implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement centers on simplifying border clearance, improving transparency, and facilitating trade and value chain integration for domestic manufacturers, especially SMEs. The Agreement allows developing members to classify Articles 1-12 into Category A, B and C commitments enabling phased implementation and capacity building. India has notified Category A commitments, ratified the TFA, and is establishing a National Committee on Trade Facilitation to coordinate inter ministerial, state and private sector participation and to consult industry associations during implementation.