In line with the government’s digitization agenda, India’s ministry of finance is exploring the use of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for cargo movement.
Currently India ranks 146 out of 190 countries on World Bank’s ‘trading across borders’ measure. It takes 11 days for clearing an import consignment, against 8.7 hours for member countries of OECD, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Some nations in Europe use a fully-automated system that offers end-to-end clearance of consignments. The cost per consignment in India is $536 as compared to $111 in OECD countries.
While delivering the budget for 2019, minister for finance, Arun Jaitley, said the government would explore the use of blockchain technology for ushering in a digital economy, as well as invest in research and training in robotics, AI, digital manufacturing and big data analysis this year.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
