India, Dec. 6 -- Reforming India's customs duty regime-by lowering rates on select goods, increasing transparency, and reducing official discretion-will be the next major economic reform push, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

A comprehensive overhaul of the customs framework stands as the one major tax reform remaining on the government's agenda. Sitharaman's tenure has been marked by bold reforms; this year alone, she brought in simpler income tax laws with the Income Tax Act 2025, lowered slabs in the budget, and, as chairperson of the GST Council, ushered in changes that streamlined India's indirect tax structure.

Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit 2025, the minister said the proposed customs reforms would be s...