As ACAAI marks its golden convention, President Samir J. Shah lays out the regulatory blueprint driving India’s push towards a trillion-dollar trade economy.
India’s air cargo cannot simply keep pace with a trillion-dollar trade vision.
For an industry moving toward the scale India’s air cargo sector is chasing, policy cannot simply keep pace. It has to lead. That is the position Samir J. Shah, President of ACAAI, takes across infrastructure, customs, inter-ministerial coordination, emerging technology and workforce readiness.
De-Risking Capital, Not Just Adding It
Asked which policy levers would most effectively accelerate air cargo infrastructure investment, Shah points to a blend of de-risked capital, simplified processes and performance-based regulation.
The first is expanding viability-gap funding and targeted capex incentives for cargo terminals, cold chain nodes and apron-side warehousing at non-metro airports. The second is institutionalising long-term, usage-linked concessions with clear KPIs around dwell time, turnaround and security compliance, so oversight is built into the contract rather than added as friction later.
Third is accelerating the single-window digital stack, ICEGATE integrations, e-seals and ULD tracking, to make investments bankable. Fourth is maintaining a risk-based regulatory model: pre-certifying trusted operators, and reserving intensive inspections for high-risk lanes.
Clearance by Intelligence and Trust
Shah frames the shift plainly: India is moving from clearance by default inspection to clearance by intelligence and trust. He cites the National Time Release Study 2025, which shows air cargo complexes clearing imports roughly five hours faster than in 2023, with facilitated shipments clearing 45 to 46 per cent faster when advance filing, risk-based processing and AEO status are combined. BCAS’s 2025 relaxation allowing transit cargo to avoid re-screening has cut Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt transit times from 50 to 60 hours down to about 20 hours.
The balance comes down to four things: advance information, scaling AEO regimes, AI-assisted risk engines and keeping physical interventions for exceptions rather than the norm.
Aligning Ministries Around One Dashboard
Coordinating policy across ministries happens through structured inter-ministerial forums tied to measurable outcomes, Shah says: a standing cargo facilitation mechanism chaired at the PMO or Ministry of Civil Aviation level, bringing together CBIC, BCAS, DGCFT, NCAER and NITI Aayog around a shared dashboard tracking dwell time, transshipment volumes and security incidents. He points to recent transshipment reforms, covering all four movement categories and eliminating permit fees, as proof of how alignment works. ACAAI also uses pilot corridors to test changes before scaling nationally.
Regulation Ahead of the Curve
On drone cargo, freighter conversions and next-generation aircraft, Shah’s position is unambiguous: regulation must lead, not lag. The government has signalled BVLOS norms and manufacturing incentives by the end of 2026, though commercial drone delivery remains corridor-bound for now. ACAAI is advocating a phased, corridor-first rollout, certifying operators on safety management, remote ID and geofencing, before opening metro to Tier-2 medical and high-value lanes.
For freighter conversions, Shah wants streamlined airworthiness pathways paired with tighter maintenance oversight. On next-generation aircraft, his prescription includes rewarding off-peak freighter slots and enabling digital-twin-based predictive maintenance.
Building a Workforce for a Trillion-Dollar Trade Vision
Shah describes the skills task as building a pipeline worthy of a trillion-dollar trade vision, embedding air cargo competencies into NSQF-aligned curricula through the LSC. ACAAI’s own advocacy adds scaling train-the-trainer programmes and co-funding MSME certifications
