1 day ago
DGFT Automates Certificate Issuance to Speed Exporter Approvals
India’s trade authority has created a computer-based system for issuing some exporter certificates.
These certificates are called Free Sale and Commerce Certificates.
They are used for products that are not covered by the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.
In the past, regional officials manually checked all applications before issuing certificates.
Now, routine applications that meet the rules can be processed automatically.
This should help exporters receive certificates more quickly and predictably.
Applications with unusual details or missing requirements can still be checked by officials.
Some certificates approved by the system may also be reviewed later if risk flags appear.
The government says the change will reduce paperwork while keeping important oversight.
DGFT has automated eligible Free Sale and Commerce Certificate applications on its portal.
Routine applications will generally bypass manual scrutiny by Regional Authorities.
The certificates cover products outside the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Applications needing verification or failing automated parameters will undergo manual processing.
Automatically approved applications may later be reviewed under risk-management rules.
- Who
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and exporters using Free Sale and Commerce Certificates.
- What
- DGFT has automated the issuance of eligible Free Sale and Commerce Certificates through its online portal.
- Where
- Through the DGFT portal in India; applications may be referred to DGFT Regional Authorities.
- When
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced the change on Tuesday.
- Why
- To reduce processing time and manual intervention, ease exporter compliance, and make certificate issuance more predictable while retaining risk-based oversight.
Key facts
- Certificates
- Free Sale and Commerce Certificates (FSCs)
- Eligible products
- Products outside the scope of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940
- New process
- Automated, rule-based processing for eligible applications
- Earlier process
- Applications were manually examined by DGFT Regional Authorities
- Manual review
- Applications needing verification or not meeting automated parameters remain subject to scrutiny
- Risk oversight
- Some automatically approved applications may later be flagged for Regional Authority review
- Policy framework
- The facility is governed by paragraph 2.34 of the Handbook of Procedures
Sources
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