India Reforms DGFT Norms Committees

The India===Ministry of Trade and Industry has implemented a series of reforms to strengthen the functioning of Norms Committees under the India===Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). These reforms aim to improve turnaround times, enable early approvals, and enhance transparency and predictability under the Advance Authorisation Scheme. Key changes include institutionalized fortnightly meetings, prioritization of long-pending cases, time-bound finalization of minutes, and systematic monitoring. The number of technical members in the committees has increased from 12 to 22 to augment capacity. A special drive has been launched for expeditious disposal of pending applications, resulting in 1,770 cases being disposed of between January and April 2026. These measures are aligned with India's agenda of creating a facilitative trade environment, particularly for Small and medium enterprises, by reducing transaction costs and shortening authorization timelines.