SDG 2: Zero Hunger | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
Institutions: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (FSSAI) | Ministry of Finance (CBIC) | Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Integrated Digital Oversight for Food Imports
The FSSAI–CBIC integration under SWIFT 2.0 marks a major step toward transparent, technology-driven food-import regulation in India. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has linked its Food Import Clearance System (FICS) with CBIC’s ICEGATE platform, extending the earlier SWIFT 1.0 single-window model into a more advanced, interoperable framework for faster, traceable clearances.
The system is currently operational on a pilot basis at four inland container depots — ICD Dadri, ICD Star Track, ICD Albatross, and ICD Patparganj — where importers can now obtain FSSAI’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) directly through the SWIFT portal.
Efficiency and Transparency Gains
Improved Efficiency: Automated submission & processing reduce cargo dwell time and speed up consignment release.
Lower Transaction Costs: Paperless workflows and data-sharing eliminate repeated documentation.
Enhanced Transparency: Integrated data exchange between FSSAI and CBIC improves traceability and auditability.
Technology-Driven Oversight: Reduced human interface enables consistent, risk-based decision-making.
Phased National Roll-Out: Following pilot success, SWIFT 2.0 will expand across all major food-import points to establish uniform digital standards nationwide.
This digital convergence directly advances India’s goals under Digital India and Ease of Doing Business, while strengthening inter-agency coordination and improving consumer protection through faster, more accountable food-safety governance.
The FSSAI–CBIC integration transforms food-import regulation from a paper-based to a data-intelligent process, reinforcing India’s trade-facilitation and public-health objectives simultaneously. It exemplifies how digital public infrastructure can balance regulatory stringency with trade efficiency, a model that can be replicated across other sensitive import sectors (pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agri-inputs). The initiative also enhances India’s compliance alignment with WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement norms and supports its bid to modernise border management systems.
Relevant question for policy stakeholders: What mechanisms can further strengthen inter-agency digital integration to ensure uniform, transparent and efficient food import clearance across all ports in India?
Follow the full news here:
https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Press%20Release%20SWIFT%202_0%20First%20Draft.pdf