India’s Faster Tax Agreement Processing Buoys Professionals

India’s advance tax agreements program has emerged as an effective option for multinationals to avoid protracted litigation.

Not only did the country sign a record number of APAs last year—174—it also did so much faster than before.

Though the average duration for closing an application is around three and a half years, about 40% of the APA applications closed in 2024-25 were resolved within two years, according to a report by the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

“That is also making it very attractive” to taxpayers, said Bharath Lakshminarayana, partner at Singhvi Dev & Unni LLP ...