Paragraph C.7 of the Part C of the Annexure of the Circular No. 12 dated 9-9-2000 deals with manner in which the shipping documents should be dispatched.

Accordingly, generally the shipping documents are dispatched by the authorized agents (banks) through their overseas braches / correspondents.

But, in certain circumstances (like, in case of regular customer or in case of advance payment etc.) exporters are allowed to dispatch the documents directly to the consignee.

Vide circular no. 10 dated 14-8-2002, RBI has allowed units in SEZ to dispatch shipping documents to consignee subject to certain conditions.

Now, vide circular no. 6 dated 13-8-2008, RBI has allowed the concerned banks to regularized the direct dispatch of shipping document from exporter to consignee where the value of each export shipment is upto USD 1 million or its equivalent subject to certain conditions.

 

Also see: -

Foreign Exchange Management (Export of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2000

And

Master circular no. 9/2008 dated 1-7-2008 - Master Circular on Export of Goods and Services

Direct dispatch of shipping documents: banks may regularize exporters' direct shipments subject to prescribed conditions for repatriation. The Reserve Bank has liberalised export documentation by permitting concerned banks to regularize direct dispatch of shipping documents from exporters to consignees for qualifying shipments, subject to specified conditions to safeguard realisation and repatriation of export proceeds; this extends prior limited exceptions (including SEZ units and advance payment or regular-customer cases) and operates under the Foreign Exchange Management export regulations and the RBI master circular on exports.