I started traveling in the seventies when all luggage was always opened (both in India and the US). Since then I have seen huge positive changes. Regulations have been dramatically relaxed and I, personally, am never stopped anywhere any more. Still, laws do exist and they can be enforced. There's no point in whining about that. Just like being caught for speeding, the fact that other people get away with it, or you got away with it last time, is irrelevant.
I believe the duty-free limit for people of Indian origin is now Rs. 24,000, which is huge compared to what it used to be, but it's still only about $500. If you exceed it, or if you bring in too much liquor or something, most of the time no one will catch it, but you don't have some sort of special right to evade the rules.
I'm not denying that some Customs officials are looking for opportunities to extract a bribe. So follow the rules and don't give them any opportunity. The last time I was asked to open my luggage in India, in the late eighties, I remember laughing at the guy and saying "you're wasting your time". He gave up quickly.