**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has implemented targeted reforms to strengthen the Norms Committees (NCs) under the DGFT, aimed at accelerating the disposal of Advance Authorisation applications and enhancing trade facilitation. Key initiatives include increasing the number of technical members from 12 to 22 and institutionalizing a fortnightly meeting cycle to address case pendency. As of April 7, 2026, these reforms have facilitated the disposal of 1,770 cases, significantly improving turnaround times for exporters.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scheme Framework and Oversight**
* The DGFT administers the Advance Authorisation (AA) and Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) schemes, allowing duty-free import of inputs used in export products.
* Seven sector-specific Norms Committees are responsible for fixing Standard Input Output Norms (SION) and ad-hoc norms when notified standards are unavailable.
* Committees consist of technical authorities and domain experts from various Ministries responsible for facilitating authorizations under the Foreign Trade Policy.
* **Governance and Process Reforms**
* Institutionalization of a fixed fortnightly cycle for committee meetings to ensure consistency.
* Requirement for time-bound finalization of meeting minutes and systematic monitoring of case ageing.
* Prioritization of long-pending cases to reduce backlogs and improve predictability.
* Identification of recurring ad-hoc cases for conversion into SION to eliminate the need for repetitive individual approvals.
* **Capacity Augmentation**
* Expansion of the pool of Technical Authorities from 12 to 22 members through nominations from various Line Ministries.
* Reduction of dependence on a limited group of officers to mitigate the impact of overlapping responsibilities and capacity constraints.
* **Special Disposal Drive**
* Launch of a dedicated drive for the expeditious disposal of pending applications.
* Mandatory chronological processing of cases to ensure transparency and fairness in the approval process.
**Impact Analysis**
**Exporters (including MSMEs)**
**Impact**
Exporters benefit from reduced transaction costs, shorter authorization timelines, and a more predictable trade environment, which enhances India’s export competitiveness.
**Action Required**
Exporters should continue to submit applications under the AA and DFIA schemes, noting that recurring items may now be covered under newly converted SION.
**Norms Committees (NCs)**
**Impact**
Committees now possess higher technical capacity and a structured governance framework, enabling them to handle a larger volume of cases with improved efficiency.
**Action Required**
Committees must adhere to the fixed fortnightly meeting schedule, process cases in chronological order, and ensure minutes are finalized within the new time-bound requirements.
**Line Ministries**
**Impact**
Ministries are more integrated into the trade facilitation process through the contribution of their technical officers to the Committees.
**Action Required**
Line Ministries must continue to nominate and provide technical officers to the Committees to maintain sectoral expertise and prevent capacity bottlenecks.
Key Entities Referenced
Norms Committees (NCs): Sector-specific bodies under DGFT responsible for determining Standard Input Output Norms (SION) and finalizing duty-free import authorisations.
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT): The primary regulatory agency under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry that administers export-import schemes and the Foreign Trade Policy.
Advance Authorisation (AA) Scheme: A trade facilitation program that allows exporters to import inputs duty-free provided they are physically incorporated into export products.
Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) Scheme: A scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy that permits duty-free imports of raw materials and inputs used in the manufacture of export goods.
Foreign Trade Policy: The overarching policy document and legal framework that governs the issuance of trade authorisations and the functioning of the Norms Committees.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Government Undertakes Reforms to Strengthen
Norms Committees under DGFT for Faster
Disposal of Advance Authorisation Applications
Advance Authorisation and DFIA Schemes Enable Duty-Free
Imports for Exporters under DGFT
Posted On: 17 APR 2026 4:53PM by PIB Delhi
In pursuance of the Government’s commitment to Ease of Doing Business and trade facilitation for
exporters, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has undertaken a series of targeted reforms to strengthen
the functioning of Norms Committees (NCs) under the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
These measures are aimed at improving turnaround time, enabling early approvals and enhancing
transparency and predictability under the Advance Authorisation (AA) Scheme.
DGFT administers the Advance Authorisation (AA) Scheme and the Duty-Free Import Authorisation
(DFIA) Scheme under the Foreign Trade Policy. These schemes allow duty-free import of inputs that are
physically incorporated in export products. Authorisations are generally issued against notified Standard
Input Output Norms (SION). In cases where SION is not available, authorisations are issued based on
self-declared input-output norms by applicants, which are subsequently examined and finalised by sector-
specific Norms Committees.
At present, seven Norms Committees are operational under DGFT, covering a range of export sectors.
These Committees comprise technical authorities and domain experts from relevant Ministries and
Departments. They are responsible for fixation of SION and ad-hoc norms, recommending SION
notifications and facilitating issuance of authorisations in accordance with the Foreign Trade Policy and
Handbook of Procedures.
The functioning of NCs had been impacted by capacity constraints due to a limited number of Technical
Authorities. As of early February 2026, only twelve technical members were associated with the
Committees, including five serving Government officers, resulting in increasing pendency due to
overlapping responsibilities.
To address these challenges, a series of reforms have been introduced:
Strengthening of Governance and Processes: Detailed guidelines have been issued to ensure uniformity
and consistency in the functioning of NCs. These include institutionalised scheduling of meetings on a
fixed fortnightly cycle, prioritisation of long-pending cases, time-bound finalisation of meeting minutes,
and systematic monitoring of pendency and case ageing. Efforts have also been made to identify recurring
cases for conversion into SION to reduce repetitive approvals.Augmentation of Technical Capacity: Line Ministries have been requested to nominate additional
technical officers to the Committees to enhance sectoral expertise and reduce dependence on a limited
pool of members.
Special Disposal Drive: A special drive has been launched for expeditious disposal of pending
applications, with meetings being held on a fixed schedule and cases taken up in chronological order to
ensure transparency and fairness.
As part of capacity augmentation, ten additional technical members have been nominated from various
Ministries, increasing the total number of Technical Authorities from 12 to 22. This has strengthened the
Committees’ ability to handle a higher volume of cases with improved efficiency.
The reforms have resulted in improved outcomes. Between January 2026 and 7 April 2026, a total of 38
meetings of Norms Committees were held, in which 3,925 cases were taken up and 1,770 cases were
disposed of.
These measures are aligned with the Government’s agenda of creating a facilitative and predictable trade
environment, particularly for MSMEs. A streamlined norms fixation process is expected to reduce
transaction costs, shorten authorisation timelines and enhance India’s export competitiveness.
The Ministry of Commerce & Industry remains committed to further improving the efficiency of the
norms fixation mechanism as part of its broader efforts to support exporters and promote trade growth.
***
Abhishek Dayal/Garima Singh/Anushka Pandey
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