MC EXCLUSIVE EOIs invited for $1-billion next-gen digital customs platform; major IT firms expected to bid

The CIS is expected to significantly alter how import and export transactions are processed

• Govt starts vendor selection for Rs 8,000–10,000 crore Customs System
• Major IT firms like Infosys, TCS, and HCL expected to bid for CIS project
• CIS aims to digitise customs, streamline trade, and enable AI-based inspections

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The government has initiated the process for the proposed Customs Integrated System (CIS) announced in the Budget 2026, with inviting expressions of interest (EOIs) invited for developing the integrated digital technology platform. The project is estimated to cost between Rs 8,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore, government sources said.

The EOI stage marks the first step in the vendor-selection process for the large-scale customs technology overhaul.

Major domestic IT services providers, including Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HCL Technologies, are expected to bid for the  project, the sources told Moneycontrol. The tendering exercise will move to the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage in the coming months once the EOI phase concludes.

“With an outer cost estimate of Rs 8,000–10,000 crore, this is a very significant technology contract. A $1-billion-sized project is not small by any standard,” one of the sources cited above said.

“The idea is to build a system that integrates approvals, compliance checks, and data flows across agencies into a common technology backbone. The proposed Customs Integrated System would play a role for customs similar to what the GST Network (GSTN) technology platform does for GST.” he added.

Domestic projects gain appeal

The expected participation of major IT players reflects shifting industry priorities, particularly as global technology spending moderates.

“Earlier, many large IT companies were selective about government projects. But with evolving global demand conditions, domestic opportunities – especially large digital public infrastructure programmes – have become more attractive,” the source said.

CIS is expected to alter how import and export transactions are processed, monitored, and audited, while reducing operational frictions for businesses engaged in cross-border trade.

Budget customs reform agenda

The CIS platform is expected to involve system integration, workflow digitisation, data management layers, analytics capabilities, and interoperability with multiple government and trade databases.

Unveiled in the Budget for FY27, CIS is the central piece of the government’s customs modernisation and trade facilitation strategy. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the system as a unified, end-to-end digital platform for customs procedures, compliance monitoring and risk management, aimed at rationalising multiple legacy systems.

It aims to reduce process fragmentation, accelerate cargo clearances, and expand technology-driven risk assessment.

The Budget also emphasised on wider deployment of non-intrusive inspection systems, including AI-enabled scanning and advanced imaging technologies at major ports, to improve both facilitation and enforcement outcomes.