**Executive Summary**
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) successfully conducted a Special Campaign from March 1 to March 31, 2026, to expedite the issuance of Export Obligation Discharge Certificates (EODCs). Due to the campaign's success in reducing the case backlog by 74%, the drive has been extended for two additional months, ending May 31, 2026. This initiative aims to enhance the ease of doing business by formalizing the closure of export obligations and releasing blocked bank guarantees.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Campaign Objectives and Scope**
* The drive focuses on the expeditious disposal of EODC cases under the Advance Authorisation (AA) and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) schemes.
* The primary goal is to foster an exporter-friendly ecosystem by reducing grievance burdens and ensuring effective compliance monitoring.
* The initiative is overseen through daily review meetings chaired by senior DGFT officials.
**Performance and Statistical Highlights**
* **Approval Surge:** In March 2026, 12,690 EODCs were approved, a threefold increase compared to February 2026.
* **Scheme Performance:** Approvals rose by 242% under the AA scheme and 234% under the EPCG scheme.
* **Backlog Clearance:** The campaign cleared 59% of the pending pipeline for the AA scheme and 54% for the EPCG scheme.
* **Processing Efficiency:** DGFT achieved a processing rate of 97% for AA cases and 98% for EPCG cases during the month of March.
* **Case Volume:** In-progress cases declined significantly from 15,360 on March 1, 2026, to 3,966 on April 1, 2026.
**Extension of the Special Drive**
* The Special Drive has been extended for a further two-month period, running from April 1, 2026, to May 31, 2026.
* Detailed guidelines regarding this extension were officially issued on March 30, 2026.
**Impact Analysis**
**Exporters**
**Impact**
Exporters benefit from the faster formal closure of export obligations, which facilitates the release of previously blocked bank guarantees and bonds. The drive reduces the administrative and grievance burden on businesses.
**Action Required**
Exporters should review the detailed guidelines issued on March 30, 2026, to ensure their pending EODC cases are processed during the extended drive period.
**DGFT Regional Authorities**
**Impact**
Authorities have undergone significant mobilization and coordinated efforts to achieve high processing rates (97-98%). They remain responsible for clearing the remaining pipeline and managing new EODC applications.
**Action Required**
Regional Authorities must continue to prioritize case resolution and adhere to the daily review and monitoring protocols through the extension deadline of May 31, 2026.
Key Entities Referenced
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT): The primary regulatory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry responsible for conducting the Special Drive and monitoring trade compliance.
Export Obligation Discharge Certificates (EODCs): Critical instruments for the formal closure of export obligations and the release of bank guarantees, which were the central focus of the expeditious disposal campaign.
Advance Authorisation (AA) Scheme: A trade incentive scheme for which the DGFT prioritized the clearance of pending export obligation cases during the special campaign.
Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme: A major scheme facilitating the import of capital goods, under which the drive achieved significant reductions in the backlog of pending EODC applications.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Conducts Special Drive for Expeditious Disposal
of Export Obligation Discharge Certificates
The drive fosters an exporter-friendly ecosystem and
enhances Ease of Doing Business.
Posted On: 01 APR 2026 6:11PM by PIB Delhi
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has
successfully concluded a time-bound Special Campaign for the expeditious issuance of Export Obligation
Discharge Certificates (EODCs) under the Advance Authorisation (AA) and Export Promotion Capital
Goods (EPCG) Schemes. The campaign was conducted from March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026 and was
monitored through daily review meetings chaired by senior DGFT officials.
EODCs are critical instruments for the formal closure of export obligations. They enable the release of
bank guarantees and bonds, reduce exporter grievance burden, and ensure effective compliance
monitoring under India’s trade facilitation framework. The campaign has significantly accelerated disposal
and will benefit exporters across the country.
EODC approvals in March 2026 recorded a sharp increase over February 2026, rising by 242 percent
under the Advance Authorisation scheme and 234 percent under the EPCG scheme. A total of 12,690
EODCs were approved in March, compared to 3,747 in February, representing a more than threefold
increase of 3.39 times. This reflects the effective mobilisation and coordinated efforts of DGFT Regional
Authorities.
The campaign facilitated the clearance of 59 percent of the pending pipeline under the AA scheme and 54
percent under the EPCG scheme during March 2026, leading to a substantial reduction in backlog.
The Special Campaign resulted in the approval of 12,690 EODCs in a single month, compared to 44,018
approvals during the preceding eleven months from April 2025 to February 2026, underscoring the impact
of focused administrative intervention in trade facilitation.
During March 2026, 13,238 out of 13,627 available AA EODC cases were processed, achieving a
processing rate of 97 percent. Under the EPCG scheme, 8,281 out of 8,473 available cases were
processed, reflecting a processing rate of 98 percent.
As a direct outcome of the Special Campaign, the number of in-progress cases declined significantly from
15,360 as on March 1, 2026 to 3,966 as on April 1, 2026. This reduction was achieved despite the addition
of 6,740 new EODC cases during March 2026. The overall decline of 74 percent in in-progress cases
highlights the effectiveness of the campaign in clearing backlog and expediting case resolution.In view of the success of the campaign, the Special Drive for expeditious issuance of EODCs has been
extended for a further period of two months from April 1, 2026 to May 31, 2026. Detailed guidelines for
the extension were issued on March 30, 2026.
By enabling faster closure of export obligations, facilitating the release of blocked bank guarantees, and
reducing the grievance burden on exporters, the initiative underscores the Government’s commitment to
fostering an exporter-friendly ecosystem and enhancing ease of doing business.
***
Abhishek Dayal/ Shabbir Azad/ Ishita Biswas
(Release ID: 2247919) Visitor Counter : 245
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