In News:

The Government of India has approved the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) to strengthen India’s export ecosystem, with special emphasis on MSMEs, labour-intensive sectors, and low-export-intensity regions.

What is the Export Promotion Mission (EPM)?

The Export Promotion Mission is a unified, digitally driven framework announced in Union Budget 2025–26. It consolidates multiple export-support schemes into one coordinated system to improve efficiency and outcomes.

• Total Outlay: ?25,060 crore
• Duration: FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31
• Implementing Agency:Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
• Anchored through coordination among the Department of Commerce, MSME Ministry, Finance Ministry, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards, financial institutions, industry bodies, and State governments

Two Integrated Sub-Schemes

1. NiryatProtsahan (Financial Support)

Focuses on improving access to affordable trade finance:

• Interest subvention on export credit
• Export factoring and deep-tier financing
• Exporter credit cards for e-commerce
• Collateral support and credit enhancement for MSMEs

2. Niryat Disha (Non-Financial Support)

Enhances export readiness and competitiveness:

• Quality testing, certification, compliance assistance
• Branding, packaging, trade fairs, buyer–seller meets
• Warehousing and logistics support
• Inland transport reimbursement for exporters from remote districts
• District-level export capacity building

Digital Governance

• DGFT operates a paperless digital platform for application, approval, and fund disbursal
• Linked with customs and trade systems for faster processing
• Outcome-based monitoring ensures adaptability to global trade shifts

Sectoral & Regional Focus

EPM prioritizes sectors facing global tariff pressures:

• Textiles
• Leather
• Gems &Jewellery
• Engineering goods
• Marine products

It also targets:

• MSMEs and first-time exporters
• Labour-intensive value chains
• Interior and low-export districts to widen India’s export base

Complementary Financial Support

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE)

• Provides 100% government-backed credit guarantee
• Enables additional working capital for exporters, especially MSMEs
• Implemented via National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company

RBI Trade Relief Measures (2025)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced steps to ease liquidity stress:

• Moratorium on certain loan repayments
• Extension of export credit tenure up to 450 days
• Relaxation in working-capital norms
• Regulatory forbearance in asset classification
• FEMA relaxation extending export realisation period to 15 months

Expected Outcomes

• Improved access to affordable export finance
• Better quality compliance and global certification
• Stronger international branding of Indian goods
• Growth in exports from non-traditional districts
• Employment generation in manufacturing and logistics

These outcomes support export-led growth, align with Atmanirbhar Bharat, and contribute to the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision.

Status of India’s Exports

• Total exports reached USD 778.21 billion in 2023–24
• Growth of 67% since 2013–14
• Services exports contribute ~44% of total exports
• Major markets include: USA, UAE, Netherlands, China, Singapore, UK, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Germany, Italy
• Export basket shifting from low-value goods to electronics, engineering goods, and advanced manufacturing

Other Major Export Promotion Initiatives

India has also launched multiple initiatives to improve export competitiveness:

• PM Gati Shakti for integrated logistics planning
• National Logistics Policy to reduce logistics cost
• RoDTEP&RoSCTL for tax and duty remission
• PLI Schemes to scale up manufacturing
• TIES Scheme for export infrastructure
• Free Trade Agreements for market access
• Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative
• MSME Lean & ZED schemes for quality improvement

In News:

The Export Promotion Mission (EPM) is a flagship export-boosting initiative approved by the Union Cabinet and announced in the Union Budget 2025–26. It aims to strengthen India’s export ecosystem by improving competitiveness, especially for MSMEs, first-time exporters, and labour-intensive sectors, amid evolving global trade challenges.

What is the Export Promotion Mission (EPM)?

• EPM is a comprehensive, outcome-oriented and digitally driven framework for export promotion.
• It represents a strategic shift from multiple fragmented schemes to a single, adaptive mission-mode approach.
• Time period & outlay: ?25,060 crore from FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31.

Objectives

• Enhance export competitiveness of Indian products.
• Improve access to affordable trade finance for MSMEs.
• Reduce compliance and logistics bottlenecks.
• Expand market access and branding for Indian exporters.
• Boost exports from non-traditional districts and regions.
• Support employment generation in manufacturing, logistics, and allied sectors.

Institutional Framework

• Anchored in a collaborative mechanism involving:
  • Department of Commerce
  • Ministry of MSME
  • Ministry of Finance
  • Financial institutions, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards, industry bodies, and State governments
• Implementing agency:Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
• All processesfrom application to fund disbursalwill be managed through a dedicated digital platform integrated with existing trade systems.

Key Features

• Consolidation of schemes: Integrates existing export support measures such as:
  • Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES)
  • Market Access Initiative (MAI)
• Outcome-based design: Focus on measurable export performance and responsiveness to global trade disruptions.
• Priority sector support: Special emphasis on sectors affected by recent global tariff escalations, including:Textiles, Leather, Gems &Jewellery, Engineering goods, and Marine products.

Sub-schemes under EPM

1. NIRYAT PROTSAHAN (Financial Support)

• Aims to improve access to affordable trade finance, especially for MSMEs.
• Key instruments include:
  • Interest subvention
  • Export factoring
  • Collateral and credit guarantees
  • Credit cards for e-commerce exporters
  • Credit enhancement for market diversification

2. NIRYAT DISHA (Non-financial Enablers)

• Focuses on improving market readiness and competitiveness.
• Support areas include:
  • Export quality and compliance assistance
  • International branding and packaging
  • Participation in trade fairs
  • Export warehousing and logistics support
  • Inland transport reimbursements
  • Trade intelligence and capacity-building initiatives

Significance

• Addresses structural constraints such as costly finance, high compliance costs, fragmented market access, and logistical disadvantages.
• Encourages inclusive export growth, particularly from MSMEs and interior regions.
• Aligns with India’s long-term vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 by making exports more technology-enabled, resilient, and globally competitive.