Unlocking Global
Trade Synergies: First India–Russia AEO Seminar: FIEO
The Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO), in collaboration with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes
and Customs (CBIC) and the Embassy of Russia in India, successfully hosted the
First India–Russia AEO Seminar under the theme “Unlocking Global Trade
Synergies.”
The seminar marked a key initiative to
deepen India–Russia trade cooperation by promoting the Mutual Recognition
Arrangement (MRA) under the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) framework. The
MRA aims to simplify and expedite customs procedures, strengthen trust between
both customs administrations, and boost bilateral trade efficiency.
Mr Surjit Bhujabal, Member (Customs)
and Special Secretary, CBIC, graced the event as the Chief Guest, while notable
dignitaries included Mr S C Ralhan, President, FIEO; Mr Roman Babushkin,
Minister-Counsellor, Embassy of Russia in India; Mr Igor Ten, Representative,
Federal Customs Service (FCS) Russia; Mr Ivan Nosov, CEO, SBER Bank; Mr Akhil
Kumar Khatri, Principal Commissioner, Directorate of International Customs
(DIC), CBIC; Senior Russian Customs officials, representatives from trade and
banking sectors, and over 200 participants from both countries attended the
seminar.
In his welcome address, FIEO President,
Mr S C Ralhan highlighted that FIEO, representing over 37,000 exporters
including 5,000 status holders, considers the India–Russia AEO MRA a strategic
lever to boost bilateral trade, currently valued at $11 billion across key
sectors such as petroleum, gold, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
He added, “This partnership comes at a
proud moment as FIEO celebrates its 60th anniversary. We are committed to
making India’s exports more globally competitive, and this collaboration is a
crucial step toward balancing our trade with Russia by enhancing export
opportunities.”
Mr Surjit Bhujabal, in his address,
congratulated FIEO on its 60 years of service and emphasised the growing
significance of India–Russia trade, reiterating the government’s support for
faster, tech-enabled customs cooperation.
The seminar featured focused technical
sessions and panel discussions covering: (i) Benefits and practical
implementation of the India–Russia AEO MRA. (ii) Presentation on Russia’s
Center of Monitoring and Operative Control for cargo tracking and customs
clearance. (iii) Insights into banking, logistics, and insurance facilitation
and (iv) Interactive Q&A with exporters and B2B networking, including SBER
Bank.
The panel discussions brought together
experts from CBIC, Russian Customs, FIEO, and trade and banking sectors, who
shared actionable insights to promote trade facilitation.
FIEO reaffirms its commitment to
working with national and international stakeholders to make India a key player
in global trade and to support the government’s vision of a $2 trillion export
economy.
