India, Dec. 29 -- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said that customs reforms will be her major priority in next year's budget. This is excellent news for the economy. Customs reforms, some of which were initiated in the 2025 Budget, are indispensable for India to facilitate the ease of doing business and realise its full economic potential. Customs reforms could take many forms, such as simplifying tariff structures, easing procedural bottlenecks, streamlining processes, and augmenting physical, digital, and human infrastructure at ports to facilitate the smooth transit of goods. A key dimension of customs reforms is its intrinsic link to the signing of free trade agreements (FTAs). After a hiatus of a few years, India began s...