The recent geopolitical climate arising from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, tensions in West Asia, rising trade protectionism and increasing geo-economic fragmentation is contributing to high trade and logistics costs and disrupting global supply chains. In this evolving environment, reducing trade costs and improving supply chain resilience have become key policy priorities for enhancing trade competitiveness. In this context, paperless trade systems have emerged as important tools to address border inefficiencies, reduce delays and streamline cross-border movement of goods. This policy brief examines recent developments in India’s paperless trade initiatives and assesses India’s preparedness for deeper engagement with cross-border paperless trade frameworks, particularly the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA). The brief analyses emerging global frameworks, India’s evolving legal and institutional architecture for paperless trade and the incorporation of paperless trade provisions in India’s recent regional trade agreements (RTAs). The study finds that India has made substantial progress in developing digital and institutional infrastructure for paperless trade through initiatives such as the ICEGATE, SWIFT, faceless assessment and BharatTradeNet, among others. At the same time, the proposed Draft Trade Facilitation Bill seeks to address gaps in legal interoperability by providing legal recognition to electronic trade documents. India’s recent RTAs also reflect a gradual shift towards stronger commitments on paperless trade and interoperability. Taken together, these developments indicate that India is increasingly prepared for deeper engagement with CPTA, which can help reduce trade costs, strengthen regional integration and enhance India’s role in shaping cross-border paperless trade frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region