MoS Pankaj Chaudhary Inaugurates Trade Facilitation Conference 2025 in New Delhi.
Summit Conference
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary inaugurated the Trade Facilitation Conference 2025 on 11 July 2025, held at C. Subramaniam Auditorium, ICAR-NASC, Pusa Campus, New Delhi. Organised by the Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL) under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the event drew over 400 participants from trade, science, and regulatory sectors.
- Themed “Scientific Excellence for Seamless Trade,” the first-ever national conference aimed to modernise India’s testing infrastructure to reduce clearance times, uphold quality, and support economic growth. MoS Chaudhary emphasised that modern, science-based laboratory systems are essential to enhance ease of doing business.
Main Point :- (i) During the inaugural session, several key publications and materials were released, including a documentary titled “Science at the Border: The Story of Indian Customs Laboratories,” a CRCL coffee table book, a brochure outlining laboratory capabilities, and a Standard Operating Procedure video on petroleum liquid sampling. These releases highlighted CRCL’s evolving role since its origins in 1912.
(ii) The conference featured technical sessions led by officials including V. Suresh, Director (Revenue Laboratories), and representatives from Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) such as FSSAI, CDSCO, the Textile Committee, and Animal & Plant Quarantine. Discussions focused on trade compliance, integrated lab networking, R&D, capacity building, and process improvements.
(iii) Key outcomes included commitments to reduce testing turnaround time, upgrade laboratory infrastructure nationwide, form a core stakeholder group, and enhance training and human-resource capabilities. These measures align with the government’s efforts to position India as a global trade hub by ensuring faster, safer, and compliant export–import processes.
____________________________
