Tnc Rajagopalan

Chatroom: How to reduce demurrage on detained import consignments

TNC Rajagopalan answers SME queries related to GST, export and import matters

Exim Matters: GST reforms overlook exporters' credit plight

Exporters seek a reassessment mechanism or explicit ITC eligibility for IGST paid through ICEGATE challans to regularise AA and EPCG defaults

New Fema rules bring small service exporters into the reporting net

On October 1, the RBI updated a Master Direction consolidating various reports/ forms required to be submitted under Fema

New Fema trade rules: More flexibility and greater bank oversight

Goods invoiced or settled in INR get 12 months for realisation, against the nine-month period.

Exim Matters: Performance and not compulsion should bring members to EPCs

Raising the RCMC exemption threshold eases compliance for small exporters, but compulsory EPC membership for accessing trade-policy benefits deserves a wider review

Exim Matters: Russian oil, American tariffs and Indian exporters

Exporters have adapted to tariffs and geopolitical disruptions, but thinner margins and fresh US levies could make resilience harder to sustain

DGFT should review notification aligning ITC(HS) code with Finance Act 2026

The real test is whether a bank can refuse to close an otherwise eligible entry merely because the customer disputes or declines to pay the charge.

Brics: Chidambaram's question merits better answers

BRICS has economic heft, but tangible gains for members remain limited

FTAs: The gulf between market access and market success

The larger concern is that excessive emphasis on FTA awareness diverts attention from the central issue - competitiveness

Decoding DGFT's INR settlement rules and Customs re-export deadlines

DGFT's latest notification aligns INR export proceeds with foreign-currency realisation, while Customs clarifies when the six-month re-export clock begins

Exim Matters: India needs higher cargo volumes to attract sailings

India's exporters and importers face soaring freight costs and shipping disruptions, but subsidies may not be the answer as global shipping undergoes a technology transition

Exim Matters: FTP-Customs regulatory mismatch disrupts DFIA-Rodtep claims

Customs' demand for repayment of RoDTEP credits from DFIA exporters creates a regulatory mismatch that needs retrospective clarification to protect exporters

Chatroom: EOU warehousing, eway bills and ITC: 3 practical issues

Expert explains whether an EOU can warehouse goods near Ahmedabad, the correct eway bill destination for exports and how to claim ITC on differential IGST

Redeeming our 'Tryst With Destiny': India's road map to Viksit Bharat

India has declared its ambition to become a developed nation by 2047. What it needs now is a credible, measurable roadmap to turn that ambition into reality

Exim matters: Buyer's failure to pay should not undo export tax rebates

Export tax remissions should not be recovered when genuine foreign buyers default, as the goods have already left India and the underlying duties and taxes have been borne

SME chatroom: Clearing doubts on deferred Customs duty and PVC import curbs

Key compliance clarifications on using RoDTEP scrips for deferred customs duty and MIP rules for PVC imports under the Advance Authorisation scheme.

Exim Matters: RBI must rethink matching every trade entry with remittances

RBI's trade monitoring framework should move from universal transaction matching to risk-based scrutiny, balancing foreign exchange controls with ease of doing business

1991 reforms trusted mkts; now RBI should trust exporters and importers

The government responded to a grave foreign exchange crisis by progressively liberalising, rather than perpetuating restrictions on access to foreign exchange and imports

India-UK Ceta concession available for qualifying goods in transit

This week's SME Q&A explains India-UK CETA duty benefits, SRVA trade data, and the process for claiming customs duty refunds on overvalued imports

Discreet diplomacy may shield India from tariff threats over Russia oil buy

Quiet diplomacy could help India navigate US tariff threats over Russian oil purchases while managing energy security risks amid escalating West Asia tensions