Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Government of India has eased export compliance norms for small value consignments, exempting shipments up to Rs 3 lakh from the mandatory Registration-cum-Membership Certificate requirement in a move aimed at easing entry into global markets for micro, small and medium enterprises and first-time exporters.
Under the revised rule, exporters sending consignments valued up to Rs 3 lakh will no longer need to obtain an RCMC wherever the certificate was previously mandatory, a change officials say significantly reduces paperwork and compliance costs for smaller players. The RCMC has traditionally been required to avail benefits under India’s foreign trade policy and to establish credentials with export promotion councils, a process that many small businesses and individual artisans have found cumbersome and time consuming.
Government data cited in support of the decision shows that consignments valued up to 3,000 US dollars account for roughly 43 percent of all shipping bills filed from India, yet contribute only 0.86 percent of the country’s total merchandise export value. Officials say this disproportion reflects a structural barrier facing small exporters, who often lack the resources to navigate documentation requirements designed with larger exporters in mind, and the new exemption is intended to correct that imbalance.
The move is expected to particularly benefit exports routed through postal, courier and e-commerce channels, which have emerged as increasingly important pathways for small businesses and artisans to reach international buyers directly without relying on traditional trading intermediaries. For consignments valued above Rs 3 lakh, the existing RCMC requirement will continue to apply wherever it was previously in force, meaning the relief is targeted specifically at the smallest transactions.
Officials described the measure as part of a broader effort to help small businesses test international markets, build an export track record and gradually scale up their overseas operations without being weighed down by procedural hurdles at the outset. The government has in recent years pursued a series of similar simplification measures aimed at widening the exporter base beyond established large scale trading houses, with a particular focus on artisans, handicraft producers and MSME clusters that have significant export potential but limited administrative capacity.
Trade observers note that easing entry barriers for micro exporters could help diversify India’s export base and support employment in smaller manufacturing and artisanal clusters across the country, including craft and handicraft sectors with strong representation from regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.
