A working agenda, not a ceremonial one
The conference opens at 10:00 a.m. with the inauguration and the welcome address by Shri Jayyannt Lapsiaa, President, AILBIEA, followed by three masterclasses, each on a pressure point the trade is living with today:
● Geopolitics, Maritime Risk & the Liquid Bulk Supply Chain — Capt. Pankaj Kapoor, Quadraant Legal, on chokepoints, war-risk and sanctions exposure, and what the shifting map means for Indian cargo owners chartering tonnage.
● Dispute Preparedness in the GSTAT Era — Shri S. K. Rahman, IRS, Technical Member, GST Appellate Tribunal, on how importers and exporters should build and defend a matter in the new appellate architecture.
● Free Trade Agreements in Services — Dr. Joshua Ebenezer, Principal Consultant, NuCov Facili-Trade, opening the services chapters of India's FTAs: logistics, storage, testing and certification, surveying and chartering.
EMI – AEO – The Way Forward
The centrepiece of the morning has no speaker list and no prepared presentations. From 12:15 p.m. the floor opens to importers, exporters, terminal operators, customs brokers and surveyors to state plainly what is working in the Authorised Economic Operator framework, what is not, and what must change. Interventions will be captured live and consolidated into a formal Outcome Document for submission to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, as India moves towards its AEO coverage targets for 2028. Themes include the trust-based framework, faceless examination, National E-Bond and Transfer of Ownership, Participating Government Agencies routing under SWIFT 2.0, and Customs Integrated Systems 2.0.
The afternoon: global suppliers, reform from the Department, and the flagship address
At 2:00 p.m., the Global Suppliers Panel, moderated by Shri Avinash Maheshwari of Geo-Chem Laboratories (Cotecna Group), brings the world's suppliers into candid conversation with India's buyers. It features Mr. Reece H. Cannady of the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, U.S.A.; Shri Vikash Sharma, Director, Godrej International Trading & Investment, Singapore; Mr. Indrajit Vishwanath of Abacus Chemie, U.A.E.; and Shri Ajay Aloni of Cellmark Asia. Across edible oils, grains, petrochemicals and solvents, they will address where demand is heading and how India is judged as a counterparty.
At 2:50 p.m., Shri Anupam Prakash, IRS, Joint Secretary (Customs), CBIC, will address Path Breaking Customs Reforms — the Department's own account of what has been delivered, what is under implementation, and the direction of travel for trade.
The conference culminates at 3:15 p.m. with the flagship address, “Leadership at 26,000 Feet”, by Capt. Raghu Raman, Founding Chief Executive Officer of NATGRID — on decision-making under pressure and leading when the margin for error is gone. The vote of thanks follows at 4:30 p.m.
Partners
Event Partners for the Silver Jubilee celebrations are Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Mumbai Port Authority, Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla) and Adani Ports & SEZ. The celebrations are supported by Godrej Industries Group, Aegis Vopak, Supreme Petrochem Ltd., VVF Limited, AWL Agri Business and Hindustan Unilever Limited. AGS 360, from Atlantic Global Shipping (AGS), is the Digital Partner for the Silver Jubilee celebrations, which will also mark its India launch — an integrated digital maritime information and intelligence application bringing port information, vessel tracking and port call estimates onto a single platform. Media Partners are Daily Shipping Times, EXIM and friends from the Logistics Media Ecosystem.
Shri Jayyannt Lapsiaa, President, AILBIEA, said: “We did not want a Silver Jubilee conference of speeches. We wanted a room where the trade says plainly what it needs, the Government hears it directly, and something leaves the room in writing. Twenty-five years have taught us that when industry and Government speak with trust, trade moves faster and the nation gains.”
The Silver Jubilee Evening follows, commencing at the muhurat of 6:21 p.m., with a special tribute to Mr. Nadir B. Godrej, Chairman Emeritus, Godrej Industries Ltd., and Mr. M. P. Taparia, Managing Director, Supreme Petrochem Ltd., and the presentation of the Silver Jubilee Commemorative Citations. The evening is strictly by invitation.
Register for the Knowledge Conference: https://forms.gle/u6vB6JTbCVE5VcJc9
Registration & Enquiries on WhatsApp: +91 98190 30311
RSVP & Media Contact — AILBIEA Secretariat | ailbiea@gmail.com | +91 22-6155 9910 / 6155 9999 | www.ailbiea.com
One Industry. One Voice. Twenty-Five Years of Excellence.
