Project Import explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Regulations 5 to 7 of the Project Imports Regulations, 1986 are the working steps of a project import: apply to register the contract at a Custom House, register any amendment to the contract, and, after the last consignment is cleared, file a statement with proof of value and quantity so that the contract is finalised. The three-month deadline for that final statement is the point most often missed.
The importer applies in writing to the proper officer at the port of import or payment of duty, with the original deed of contract, a true copy, the licence where required and an approved list of items from the sponsoring authority. The proper officer registers the contract and assigns a number. Amendments to the contract must be registered too. Within three months of clearance of the last consignment for home consumption, or an extended period the proper officer allows, the importer submits a statement with proof of value and quantity.
Position of the text: as amended up to Notification No. 49/2025-Customs dated 28 November 2025. Later notifications should be checked; no official consolidated text exists. Regulations 5 to 7 were not changed by the 2023 and 2025 amendments.
These steps follow from the eligibility rule in regulation 4, explained in our article on regulations 1 to 4. The Act's provisional assessment provision, which can also come into play while a project import is pending, is in section 18 of the Customs Act, 1962. Importers who need help with the contract file can use our compliance documentation service.
Regulation 5: registration of contracts
Regulation 5(1): the application. Every importer claiming assessment of goods under heading 98.01 applies in writing, on or before importation, to the proper officer at the port where the goods are to be imported or where the duty is to be paid, for registration of the contract or contracts. A proviso covers consignments cleared through a Custom House other than the one where the contract is registered: the importer produces from the Custom House of registration such information as the proper officer may require.
Regulation 5(2): when to apply. The importer applies as soon as may be after obtaining the import trade control licence, wherever required, for the articles covered by the contract. For imports covered by the Open General Licence, or made by the Central Government, a State Government, a statutory corporation, a public body or a Government undertaking run as a joint stock company (a "Government Agency"), the importer applies as soon as clearance from the concerned sponsoring authority has been obtained.
Regulation 5(3): what the application states.
- (a) the location of the plant or project;
- (b) the description of the articles to be manufactured, produced, mined or explored;
- (c) the installed or designed capacity of the plant or project, and, for a substantial expansion of an existing plant or project, the installed capacity and the proposed addition to it; and
- (d) such other particulars as the proper officer considers necessary for assessment under heading 98.01.
Regulation 5(4): documents. The application is accompanied by the original deed of contract together with a true copy, the import trade control licence wherever required, and an approved list of items from the concerned sponsoring authority.
Regulation 5(5): further documents. The importer furnishes any other documents or particulars the proper officer needs for registration.
Regulation 5(6): registration. On being satisfied that the application is in order, the proper officer registers the contract by entering its particulars in a book kept for the purpose, assigns a number in token of registration, communicates the number to the importer and returns all original documents no longer required.
| Step | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Importer | Written application with the contract, licence if needed and the sponsoring authority's approved list |
| 2 | Proper officer | Checks the application is in order |
| 3 | Proper officer | Enters the contract in the register, gives a registration number and returns the originals no longer needed |
Regulation 6: amendment of the contract
Regulation 6(1). If a registered contract is amended, whether before or after registration, the importer applies to the proper officer for registration of the amendments.
Regulation 6(2). The application is accompanied by the original deed of contract relating to the amendments with a true copy, and the documents, if any, permitting consequential amendments to the import trade control licence wherever required. For imports covered by the Open General Licence, the importer gives the clearance of the concerned sponsoring authority as soon as obtained, together with a duly attested list of articles referred to in regulation 5(4).
Regulation 6(3). On being satisfied that the application is in order, the proper officer notes the amendments in the register.
An amended contract that is not re-registered is a risk: the registered particulars no longer match the contract under which the goods are imported. The regulation says the importer "shall" apply, without giving a time limit.
Regulation 7: finalisation of the contract
The importer must, within three months from the date of clearance for home consumption of the last consignment of the goods, or within such extended period as the proper officer may allow, submit a statement indicating the details of the goods imported together with the necessary documents as proof of the value and quantity of the goods imported, and any other document the proper officer requires for finalisation of the contract.
| Item | As printed |
|---|---|
| Time limit | Three months from the date of clearance for home consumption of the last consignment |
| Extension | Such extended period as the proper officer may allow |
| What to file | A statement of the goods imported, with proof of value and quantity, and any other document required |
The text does not set out a penalty for missing the deadline, nor what happens to the contract if the statement is not filed. The practical effect is that finalisation does not happen until the statement is in.
A worked example
Metro Textiles Pvt Ltd signs a supply contract for a spinning plant. It applies at the Custom House for registration with the original deed and a true copy, the licence where required and the approved list of items from the sponsoring authority. The proper officer registers the contract and gives it a number. Midway, the supplier and Metro Textiles amend the quantity of one item; Metro applies under regulation 6 with the amendment deed and a true copy. The last consignment is cleared for home consumption on 10 March. By 10 June (or any extended date the proper officer allows), Metro files the regulation 7 statement with invoices and quantity proofs.
Practical points
- Apply before clearance of the first consignment; regulation 4 makes registration a condition of eligibility.
- Keep a diary of the date of clearance of each consignment; the three months run from the last.
- Where consignments are cleared at another Custom House, take the information the proper officer asks for from the Custom House of registration.
Need help with project import documentation?
If you are preparing a project import contract file, an amendment or the final statement, our compliance documentation team can help assemble and check the documents.
Key takeaways
- Registration is by written application to the proper officer with the contract, licence if required and the sponsoring authority's approved list.
- The application states the location, products, capacity and any proposed expansion.
- Amendments to the contract must be registered with the amended deed and, where required, the revised licence documents.
- Finalisation needs a statement with proof of value and quantity within three months of the last clearance, or any extension the proper officer allows.
Read next
- Regulations 1-4 of the Project Imports Regulations, 1986: definitions and eligibility
- Table to the Project Imports Regulations, 1986: eligible projects and sponsoring authorities
- Section 18 of the Customs Act, 1962: provisional assessment of duty
Disclaimer: Based on the customs regulations named above as published on the CBIC Tax Information Portal or in the Gazette and, for sets amended since 2023, the amending notifications (read through a TaxClue consolidated reading text; no official consolidated text exists), as consulted on 3 October 2026. Later notifications, fees and the Customs Act, 1962 provisions referred to should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.