By Vijay Kurup
In 2021-22 (up to Sep-2021) Indian trade across its land borders was worth Rs 95,488 crores through its nine Integrated Check Points (ICPs) strung along the border, under the aegis of Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI). The cross border trade with the neighboring countries has been on the increase. The LPAI was given a clear mandate by the Ministry of Home Affairs, to provide state-of-the art infrastructure to facilitate trade and travel. Do these ICPs provide an efficient trading environment? Is the transit of goods through these points smooth without hindrance?
Cross border trade is vital for any nation. India shares a 15,000 kms long international land border with seven countries, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. With ever increasing trade between India and its neighboring countries, the need was felt to have an exit and entry corridor through which goods could move expeditiously and comply with all regulations.
LPAI was established in 2012. Prior to that, due to inadequate infrastructure at designated exit/entry border checkpoints, being mired in long queues has often been attributed to delays and major hindrances to regional trade. Support facilities like warehouses, parking lots, banks, hotels, etc., have been either inadequate or spaced far out leading to inordinate delays in clearance of cargo. The regulatory bodies too were not easily accessible. Even if it were, there was no single agency responsible to coordinate the functioning of various Government authorities and service providers.
To ease passage of trade between the neighboring countries ICPs were created that housed within its perimeter regulatory bodies and other facilities such as warehouses, examination sheds, parking bays, weighbridges etc. at designated entry and exit points for prompt cross-border movement of persons, goods and vehicles.
Further cross trade received an impetus, when India introduced the ‘Neighborhood First’ policy in 2014, which focused on improving regional connectivity. India has improved its relations with most of its neighbors.
An efficient ICP allows traders to exchange information with customs and other control agencies electronically. The customs also use risk-based assessments to limit inspections to a small percentage of items. Bilateral trade agreements between countries greatly aid the passage of trade between them.
LPAI is in the process of developing a Land Port Management System (LPMS) at its ICPs that would greatly ease documentation and at the same time reduce the costs of ICP operations for traders. The main features of LPMS would be:
- Single Registration request for all stakeholders. Document Upload and Alert & Communication.
- Slot Management – Advance planning for ICP Slot booking on the basis of resource availability. Vehicle Dwell Time Forecast.
- Gate Operations – Provision to capture shipment details, transport details and gate in/ out transactions. Provisions for Integrating with Full Body Truck Scanners
- Customs Filing – Provisions to create Shipping Bill and BOE files with auto submit to the customs system. Online filing of customs clearance and EXIM Manifest with accuracy as per ICEGATE format.
- The complex should house regulatory agencies, banks, Foreign Exchange Bureau, tourist information center, plant quarantine etc.
- CCTV surveillance, scanning equipment.
Ajeet Kumar Singh Director operations, Land Port Authority of India, speaking to Maritime Gateway said that the installation of LPMS for the various ICPs is under consideration. The full body truck scanners are currently installed only at the Attari ICP. The scanners too are under proposal to be installed in the remaining ICPs.
The details of the various ICPs are as under.
ICP Attari
This was the first ICP at Attari, Amritsar, Punjab along the border with Pakistan.
The ICP serves as an important port for importing goods from Afghanistan into India.The ICP has direct access to National Highway-I. Trade details over the years are as under.
Year Total Trade (Crores) Rs.
2017-18 4,148.15
2018-19 4,370.78
2019-20 2,772.04
2020-21 2,639.95
2021-22 1,180.54
(upto Sep -2021)
ICP Agartala
It is located at the Agartala-Akhaura border, in the state of Tripura, point along the border with Bangladesh. It has the potential to be the gateway of India’s corridor with South-East Asia. Trade details over the years are as under.
Year Total Trade (Crores)
2017-18 235.00
2018-19 356.00
2019-20 579.00
2020-21 581.36
2021-22 345.76
(upto Sep-2021)
ICP Petrapole
It is the largest land port in South Asia, located along the border with Bangladesh and is 80 kms from Kolkata, West Bengal. Nearly 30 percent of land-based trade between India and Bangladesh takes place through ICP Petrapole
Year Total Trade (Crores)
2017-18 18,799.00
2018-19 21,380.00
2019-20 20,605.00
2020-21 15,771.00
2021-22 12,773.00
(upto Sep-2021)
ICP Raxaul
ICP Raxaul is located along the border with Nepal, located at a distance of about 230 kms from the city of Patna, Bihar. Raxaul – Birgunj (Nepal) is the most important route for interchange of bilateral and third country trade between India and Nepal. The export of Nepali products to India and other countries through the Birgunj Customs Office had increased significantly in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, 2021/22.
Nepal’s trade transit had witnessed more than three times increase in the export of products as compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, 2020/21. Products worth over Rs 39.5 billion were exported in the first quarter of the current fiscal year as opposed to a little over Rs 12.4 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
ICP Raxaul is located at a distance of approx. 5 kms from Railways Station, Raxaul.
Year Total Trade (Crores)
2018-19 25,200.00
2019-20 24,821.00
2020-2021 22,099.00
2021-22 1,06,620
(upto Sep-2021)
ICP Jogbani
ICP Jogbani is located along the border with Nepal, located 325 kms from Patna, Bihar. Jogbani – Biratgunj (Nepal) is an important route for interchange of bilateral and third country trade between India and Nepal.
Year Total Trade (Crores) Rs.
2017-18 6,561.00
2018-19 8,518.00
2019-20 7,624.00
2020-2021 7,270.00
2021-22 5,233.00
(upto Sep-2021)
ICP Moreh
ICP Moreh is located along the border with Myanmar, at a distance of about 110 kms from the city of Imphal. The ICP Moreh has the advantage of being India’s Gateway to the East, through the Moreh-Tamu border point, which is presently the only feasible land route for trade between India and Myanmar and other SouthEast Asian Countries. It is situated along the proposed 1360 kms long India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.
Year Total Trade (Crores) Rs.
2018-19 30.70
2019-20 355.52
2020-21 3.11
2021-22 0
(upto Sep-2021)
ICP Sutarkandi
ICP Sutarkandi is located along the border with Bangladesh, about 15 kms from the district Karimganj, Assam. The ICP is located strategically, close to a river Kushiara with connectivity at Lakhi Bazar and to the rail siding to be developed about 10 kms away at Mahishasan- Kalaura route. The nearest airport at Silchar is about 100 kms away from the ICP. Two National Highways go through Sutarkandi-NH 151 (old) and NH 7 (new)
Year Total Trade (Crores) Rs.
2017-18 162.16
2018-19 144.10
2019-20 329.00
2020-21 237.65
2021-22 303.06
ICP Srimantapur
ICP Srimantapur is located along the border with Bangladesh, at a distance of 4 kms from Sonamura Sub- Division town and 63 kms from the city of Agartala in Tripura.
The ICP is located 10 kms from the Comilla district of Bangladesh, making it a convenient cost-efficient route for trade between India and Bangladesh.
The ICP Srimantapur terminal has a floating jetty on the Gomati river which flows into Bangladesh. With the opening of the floating jetty, Tripura has also joined the map of Inland Water Transport and is expected to boost India’s trade with it.
Year Total Trade (Crores) Rs.
2017-18 91.47
2018-19 96.41
2019-20 101.35
2020-21 81.72
2021-22 46.99
(upto Sep-2021)
ICP Dera Baba Nanak
There has been no cargo movement so far. The ICP check post at Dera Baba Nanak is intended to facilitate Indian pilgrims visit the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
Summary of functioning ICPs
| Border with | No of ICPs | State in which ICP is located | Comments |
| Pakistan | 1 | Amritsar | Serving Afghanistan |
| Bangladesh | 4 | Tripura, Assam and West Bengal | |
| Nepal | 2 | Bihar | |
| Myanmar | 1 | Manipur |
The following ICPs are under construction.
ICP Rupaidiha
It is located in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. It will be the first ICP in the state along the border with Nepal. It is located at a distance of about 185 kms from Lucknow. Target Date of Completion: April 2022
ICP Dawki
ICP Dawki is located in the West Jantia Hills in the state of Meghalaya, along the border with Bangladesh. Iit will be the first ICP in the state and is located 84 kms from Shillong. The ICP Dawki is connected with National Highway-206 and Asian Highway-I.
ICP Banbasa
ICP Banbasa, in the state of Tripura, is located on the India-Nepal border and is connected to Mahendranagar, Sudurpashchim Pradesh in Nepal.
The ICP is located close to Asian Highway 2.
ICP Sunauli
ICP Sunauli is located in the Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh along the border with Nepal.
ICP Sabroom
ICP Sabroom is located in the South Tripura district along the international border with Bangladesh. It is strategically located at the southernmost tip of the State and has a road and railway link. Sabroom is directly connected to Chittagong port of Bangladesh through Maitree Bridge on River Feni, which is about 75 km from the proposed ICP.
ICP Bhithamore
ICP Bhithamore is located in the Sitamarhi district of Bihar along the border with Nepal It is well connected to Janakpur, the second largest province of Nepal.
ICP Kawrpuichhuah
ICP Kawrpuichhuah is located in the Lunglei district of the state of Mizoram. It will be the first ICP in the state along the border with Bangladesh. The ICP would be a major trade corridor between India, Bangladesh and other South Asian countries.
ICP Fulbari
ICP Fulbari is located in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal along the border with Bangladesh. The ICP would also be an import port for transit of Bhutanese merchandises trade with third countries. It is located near National Highway (NH)-27
ICP Panitanki
ICP Panitanki is located in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal along the border with Nepal.
ICP Panitanki lies in close proximity to NH-327 and is well connected with Asian Highway (AH)-2. It is also located 4 kms from Batasi Railway Station.
ICP Jaigaon
ICP Jaigaon is located in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal along the border with Bhutan. Jaigaon is also an important port for facilitating transit of Bhutanese merchandise trade with third countries. The ICP is close to State Highway (SH)-12A and Asian Highway (AH)-48. The Hasimara Railway Station is 17.9 kms away.
ICP Ghojadanga
The ICP is located in the North 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal along the border with Bangladesh.
Among the land ports located in West Bengal, Ghojadanga is one of the most active and important ports for trading with Bangladesh.
ICP Mahadipur
The ICP is located in the Malda district of West Bengal along the border with Bangladesh. It is among the most important land ports of West Bengal in terms of volume of trade. ICP Mahadipur is situated on the Gour Road that connects to National Highway (NH)-12 and is 13 kms from the ICP and is close to the Gour Malda Train Station.
ICP Hili
The ICP is located in the Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal along the border with Bangladesh.It is located close to National Highway (NH)- 512.
ICP Changrabandha
The ICP is located in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal along the border with Bangladesh. Changrabandha is also an important port for facilitating transit of Bhutanese merchandise trade with third countries. It is well connected by National Highway (NH)-16 and National Highway (NH)- 12A. The railway station Changrabandha Railway Station is 0.5 kms away.
Summary of the ICPs, which are in the various stages of development.
| Border with | No of ICPs | State | Comments |
| Bangladesh | 9 | Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal | The ICP in Mizoram, ICP Jaigaon and the ICP in Changrabandha will be a transit point for Bhutan also. |
| Nepal | 5 | UP, Tripura, Bihar, West Bengal. |
There is a robust trade by road between India and its neighboring countries. But what are the challenges faced by the traders?
Kuldeep Singh, Managing Director, VSG Shipping & Logistics Pvt Ltd, who has regular shipments transiting the border by road, said that on an average his trucks are detained at the border for 30 days. The trucks are parked at a private siding where they incur truck detention charges at the rate of Rs. 1500 per vehicle per day. The containers are detained on the Indian side of the border due to paucity of warehousing space on the Bangladesh side. Due to slow clearance of cargo by the Bangladesh importers, the truckers are forced to wait up to a month with their vehicles. At any point of time there are about 500 trucks waiting at the border to pass through.
Since the truckers have to park their vehicles in a private parking area, where they not only have to wait for an extended period of time, but risk exposing their cargo to theft by pilferage and damage by rain. Kuldeep is of the opinion that there should be a Customs Bonded warehouse on the Indian side, where they can off load their consignment and free the vehicle, thereby avoiding paying truck detention charges. The warehouse demurrage charges for the cargo are substantially less.
According to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), website a UN survey showed a remarkable improvement in India’s ranking on digital and sustainable trade facilitation
India had made substantial progress in ease of cross-border trade. The survey tracked 143 economies on key trade facilitation parameters over a two-year period, which showed India’s rank, move up from 78.49% in 2019 to 90.32% in 2021.
India has been a member of a number of regional and sub-regional pacts that countries in South and SouthEast Asia have taken to deepen their economic ties. These include the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) and its trade agreement with the ASEAN countries.
The development of the Trilateral Highway to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam will help to improve connectivity. India has been involved in the construction of two of Myanmar’s 1,360-kilometer trilateral expressways. The formation of National Transport Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) will give an impetus to cross-border transportation and trade. In the cross border trade the ICPs play a critical role. The hallmark of an efficient ICP is revealed not only by the time and cost saved by the trader, but in the volume of shipment going through the facility. With further improvements in the offing, it is bound to ease the passage of cargo through the ICPs. These measures, however good, would be futile if the corresponding facilities at the entry point across the border does not show a proportionate improvement.
