India announces reforms to simplify import checks as it eyes US trade deal

New Delhi: India announced on Wednesday reforms to cut red tape and simplify ​its import quality checks, addressing a ‌concern raised by ⁠the US ‌over what it described as the South Asian country's "burdensome" import-quality requirements.

New Delhi and Washington have been working ​to thrash out a trade agreement, which India hopes will bring relief from a ‌50 per cent tariff ‌imposed by President Donald Trump on some of ⁠its main exports as punishment for its Russian oil purchases.

The reforms on import ⁠checks include reduced ⁠paperwork, shorter timelines, and fewer ‌inspections for quality ‌approvals, the trade ministry said in a statement.

"The reforms aim to accelerate ‍processes, reduce turnaround times, and leverage technology-driven systems to make quality assurance faster, more transparent, and more accessible for enterprises, institutions, and citizens," said Jaxay Shah, the chairman of the ​Quality Council ‌of India.