RELIEF Scheme Expanded for Exporters Amid West Asia Crisis

New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) The government on Friday expanded the list of eligible destinations under RELIEF scheme for exporters amid the West Asia crisis, which has impacted the country's exports.

On March 19, the government launched a Rs 497-crore RELIEF (Resilience and Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme to assist exporters facing disruptions due to the conflict.

"With this expansion, Egypt and Jordan have been added to the list of eligible countries for shipments meant for delivery or transhipment, under the relevant provisions of the RELIEF framework," the commerce ministry said.

It also clarified that exporters obtaining a fresh ECGC whole turnover policy on or after March 16, 2026 would be eligible for support.

This clarification is aimed at ensuring greater clarity and facilitating wider participation of exporters, particularly new policyholders.

"In view of the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia and its continuing impact on maritime logistics across the Gulf and adjoining regions, the government has expanded the list of eligible destinations under RELIEF, a time-bound intervention under the Export Promotion Mission," it said.


The intervention provides calibrated support across the export cycle, including for shipments already undertaken during the disruption period as well as prospective exports.

In a separate statement, the ministry said it 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 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.

"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," it said.

It added that 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.