The Union Cabinet on November 12 approved the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) with a total outlay of Rs 25,060 crore for six years starting this fiscal, aimed at boosting India’s export competitiveness, particularly for MSMEs, first-time exporters and labour-intensive sectors, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Under EPM, priority support will be extended to sectors impacted by recent global tariff escalations, such as textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, engineering goods and marine products. The interventions will help sustain export orders, protect jobs and support diversification into new geographies, the government said in a statement.
The Mission comes at a time when the US has imposed a steep 50 percent tariffs on most Indian exports, effective from August 27.
First announced in the 2025–26 Budget with an outlay of Rs 2,250 crore, the Mission now carries a higher allocation and will run for five additional years, until 2030–31.
EPM marks a strategic shift from multiple fragmented schemes to a single, outcome-based, and adaptive mechanism that can respond swiftly to global trade challenges and evolving exporter needs, the statement added.
Apart from EPM, the Cabinet also cleared a Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE), under which the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC) will provide full credit guarantee coverage to banks for up to Rs 20,000 crore in additional loans to eligible exporters, including MSMEs.
The central government informed that the Mission will operate through two integrated sub-schemes:
Niryat Protsahan -- focussing on improving access to affordable trade finance for MSMEs through a range of instruments such as interest subvention, export factoring, collateral guarantees, credit cards for e-commerce exporters, and credit enhancement support for diversification into new markets.
Niryat Disha -- comprising non-financial enablers to enhance market readiness and competitiveness, including export quality and compliance support, assistance for international branding, packaging, and participation in trade fairs, export warehousing and logistics, inland transport reimbursements, and trade intelligence and capacity-building initiatives.
EPM consolidates key export support schemes such as the Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES) and Market Access Initiative (MAI), aligning them with contemporary trade needs, the statement added.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) will act as the implementing agency, with all processes, from application to disbursal, being managed through a dedicated digital platform integrated with existing trade systems.
The Mission is expected to facilitate access to affordable trade finance for MSMEs, enhance export readiness through compliance and certification support, improve market access and visibility for Indian products, boost exports from non-traditional districts and sectors, and generate employment across manufacturing, logistics, and allied services, the statement said.
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