The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has implemented several initiatives to enhance transparency, ease compliance, and facilitate exports, particularly for MSMEs and small businesses. These initiatives, spearheaded by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), include digital reforms such as a revamped DGFT portal enabling online application and approval for Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) benefits (e.g., Advance Authorisation, Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), and Status Holder certification) with integration across ICEGATE, GSTN, MCA, and PFMS. The eCertificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 system enables end-to-end digital issuance with QR codes and Aadhaar-based e-signatures. The Trade Connect ePlatform (https:www.trade.gov.in) serves as a central interface for trade queries, offering information on trade agreements, tariff exploration, market access guides, a global eCommerce guide, and trade event information. The platform also features EXIM Paathshaala learning modules, an "Ask an Expert" service, a "Source from India" tool, and a unified Certificate of Origin issuance system. Stakeholder interaction is strengthened through the Jan Sunwai facility, a digital grievance redressal platform offering on-demand video conferencing with government officials. Reduced application fees are available for MSMEs applying for benefits under export promotion schemes like Advance Authorisation and EPCG. The Niryat Bandhu Scheme provides expert guidance and mentorship to new and small exporters. The "Developing District as Export Hub Initiative" identifies products and services with export potential in all districts, with State Export Promotion Committees (SEPC) and District Export Promotion Committees (DEPC) established to support export promotion. These initiatives aim to reduce procedural burdens and manual intervention, as stated by the Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on July 29, 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Commerce Industry: The Indian government ministry responsible for trade and industrial policy.
Directorate General of Foreign Trade DGFT: An agency under the Ministry of Commerce Industry responsible for implementing foreign trade policy.
Foreign Trade Policy FTP: A set of guidelines and procedures governing India's import and export activities.
Advance Authorisation: An export promotion scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy that allows duty-free import of inputs for export production.
Export Promotion Capital Goods EPCG: An export promotion scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy that allows import of capital goods at zero or concessional duty for export production.
Trade Connect ePlatform: A one-stop online platform launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to assist Indian exporters with trade-related information and access to international markets.
Niryat Bandhu Scheme: A flagship outreach initiative by DGFT to support new and small exporters by providing guidance and mentorship.
Erode, Tamil Nadu: A region in Tamil Nadu, India, identified as an agro-focused region with export potential.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Government Initiatives Enhance Transparency and
Ease of Compliance in Export System
Posted On: 29 JUL 2025 4:32PM by PIB Delhi
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 burdensand 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
(Release ID: 2149736)