The Government has undertaken several initiatives to promote transparency, foster ease of compliance in the export system and to facilitate exports, especially from MSMEs and small businesses with minimal capital. These include the following:

Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has introduced multiple digital reforms to simplify and modernize foreign trade processes. The DGFT portal enables seamless online application and approval for various Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) benefits, including Advance Authorisation, Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), and Status Holder certification. The portal is integrated with ICEGATE, GSTN, MCA, and PFMS for efficient data validation and processing.

Other key initiatives taken by DGFT include the self-certification mechanism for eBRCs, and the digitized e-Certificate of Origin (eCoO 2.0) system, enabling real-time authentication 2 and reducing manual burden. The revamped e-Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 system, operational for both Preferential and Non-Preferential CoOs, enables end-to-end digital issuance with QR code and Aadhaar-based e-signatures. It connects exporters with issuing agencies and chambers of commerce on a single online platform, thereby improving authentication and service delivery.

In order to assist Indian exporters, the Ministry has also launched the Trade Connect ePlatform (https://www.trade.gov.in/), as one-stop interface for addressing trade queries and enhancing access to international markets. Key features of the ePlatform include information about the Trade Agreements and provision of a Tariff Explorer to assess FTA benefits, Country and Product Guides for market access and compliance insights, Global e-Commerce Guide, and information on Trade Events Worldwide. Additionally, the platform hosts EXIM Paathshaala (learning modules), the “Ask an Expert” feature for resolving trade-related queries, the “Source from India” discovery tool for foreign buyers in order to connect to verified Indian exporters, and the unified Certificate of Origin issuance system for Indian exporters.

Further, in order to strengthen stakeholder interaction, the Ministry has operationalized the Jan-Sunwai facility, a digital grievance redressal platform that provides on-demand video conferencing between exporters and government officials. The system ensures real-time grievance handling, direct access to officers, and promotes transparency through audit trails.

Further, benefits of availing export promotion schemes under Chapters 4 and 5 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 are available to all eligible exporters, including small businesses, third-party exporters, and merchant exporters. Therefore, in order to promote inclusive access and ease of compliance for such entities, the Government has introduced several supportive measures such as reduced application fees for MSMEs applying for benefits under export promotion schemes viz. Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG).

The Niryat Bandhu Scheme, a flagship outreach initiative by DGFT, is designed to support and empower new and small exporters by providing them with expert guidance, mentorship, and handholding support throughout their export journey. This scheme aims to facilitate their entry into the international trade and enhance India's overall export competitiveness.

These initiatives have enhanced accessibility for small exporters while reducing procedural burdens and manual intervention.

The Government has taken measures to improve ease of compliance in the export system for all types of exporters, including exporters in agro-focused regions such as Erode. Developing District as Export Hub Initiative under Chapter 3 of FTP 2023 identifies the products/services (including GI products, agricultural clusters and toy clusters) with export potential in all the districts of the country. Institutional mechanism in the form of State Export Promotion Committees (SEPC) at State/UT level and District Export Promotion Committees (DEPCs) at the district level has been created in all districts of the country to provide support for export promotion and address the bottlenecks for export growth in the districts.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan/Shabbir Azad