CRCL and IIT Delhi partners to boost scientific capabilities

The Central Revenues Control Laboratory (CRCL) under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to strengthen scientific infrastructure and enhancing ease of doing business in India. The agreement was formalised in New Delhi with the objective of promoting research and development, innovation, and scientific excellence to support India’s trade and regulatory ecosystem.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between CRCL (CBIC, DoR), and @iitdelhi on dated 20-05-2025 by Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi and Sh. V. Suresh, Director, CRCL in the presence of Sh. Surjit Bhujabal, Member (Customs), CBIC.
This collaboration… pic.twitter.com/o8ZfnFdpsH

— CBIC (@cbic_india) May 20, 2025

The collaboration between CRCL and IIT Delhi is aimed at modernising CRCL’s analytical capabilities and fostering a more efficient and predictable customs process aligned with global standards. They will be leveraging IIT Delhi’s advanced research and development resources, the partnership will focus on integrating high-end instrumentation, trace-level detection techniques, and rapid testing protocols into CRCL's operations.

The MoU sets the stage for joint research on regulatory science and customs testing challenges, development of automated screening methods, and technology transfer initiatives. It also lays the groundwork for creating standard operating procedures, reference materials, and analytical databases critical for customs and indirect tax assessments. Importantly, it will facilitate academic mentorship and technical exchange programs for CRCL scientists and customs chemists in fields such as nanotechnology, forensic chemistry, and environmental monitoring.

The agreement further supports national priorities like ‘Make in India’ and ease of doing business by accelerating testing turnaround times, validating Indian-manufactured goods, and reducing bottlenecks in customs clearance. This, in turn, is expected to foster greater confidence among global and domestic industry stakeholders.

Additionally, the MoU outlines plans to establish Centres of Excellence in key focus areas such as narcotics analysis, environmental monitoring, and quality assurance. These centres will serve as hubs for innovation and scientific rigour in customs testing, improving regulatory compliance and trade facilitation.

CRCL currently leads a network of 12 Revenue Laboratories across India, all accredited under ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Among these, select labs are further certified for forensic and environmental testing and food safety under national regulatory bodies. The collaboration with IIT Delhi is expected to enhance the role of this lab network in ensuring accurate duty assessment and enforcement of indirect tax laws.

This strategic partnership reinforces India’s commitment to global trade standards and scientific modernisation in customs operations, paving the way for more seamless, transparent, and efficient trade processes.