The Customs, in Mumbai airport, cited the Courier Imports and Exports (Electronic Data and Processing) Regulations, 2010, to ban all perishables through the courier or fast-track route in December 2018. This led to a sudden stop in clearances of blood samples for testing, access to key medicines for patients, exports and imports of food samples for test marketing and display in exhibitions, to name a few. After complaints by the industry and review of the adverse impact, the Customs, in February 2019, allowed courier companies to transport blood samples, subject to requisite clearances by other government departments. Such measures have not only resulted in India’s low rank in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index compared with countries like China, it has led to huge business losses also. The Indian express and courier industry employed around 1.6 million workers and contributed close to Rs 3,000 crore to the exchequer in FY18.
