FSSAI and CBIC Launch SWIFT 2.0 Pilot to Streamline Food Import Clearance

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has achieved a major milestone in digital governance by successfully integrating its Food Import Clearance System (FICS) with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) under the advanced SWIFT 2.0 initiative. This major digital integration, building upon the earlier SWIFT 1.0 success, marks a significant step in promoting the Government’s vision of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and enhancing trade facilitation.

Pilot Launch and Scope

The newly integrated system has gone LIVE on a pilot basis at four key points of entry across the country:

1. ICD Dadri (INDER6)
2. ICD Star Track (INSTT6)
3. ICD Albatross (INAPL6)
4. ICD Patparganj (INPPG6)

Importers receiving consignments at these locations can now obtain the FSSAI No Objection Certificate (NOC) directly through the SWIFT Portal (ICEGATE), leveraging technology for smarter and faster food import clearance.

Enhanced Efficiency and Transparency

The FSSAI-CBIC integration under SWIFT 2.0 is specifically designed to further streamline the import clearance process by:

1. Enhancing Transparency and Efficiency: The collaboration aims for greater objectivity and accountability within the system.
2. Reducing Human Interface: By minimizing human interaction, the system is expected to reduce delays.
3. Decreasing Dwell Time: Faster processing will lower the overall cost of doing business and reduce the time cargo spends waiting for clearance.

This initiative aligns seamlessly with the Government’s flagship programs like ‘Digital India’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’.

Following the successful pilot, the FSSAI-CBIC integration under SWIFT 2.0 is planned for gradual expansion to all major food import points nationwide, establishing a more efficient and secure import clearance ecosystem.