This guide explains each intervention in plain language: who qualifies, how much you get, where you apply and the traps that cost exporters their claims. Use the contents list to jump ahead.

What changed in 2026: the live tracker

The EPM is being built notice by notice. These are the changes that matter, newest first.

What the EPM is

The Export Promotion Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 and approved by the Government in November 2025. It merges several fragmented export-support schemes into one outcome-based, digitally managed framework. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is the implementing agency and runs a dedicated digital platform from application to approval to disbursal, working with the Department of Commerce, the Ministry of MSME, the Ministry of Finance, export promotion councils, commodity boards, banks and states.

What it replaced

• Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES). It lapsed on 31 December 2024. Its rates were 2% for 410 identified tariff lines and 3% for MSME manufacturer exporters. The EPM’s interest subvention is a new, flat 2.75% for eligible MSMEs on a notified product list. Pending IES arrears of about ₹850 crore were reported cleared by February 2026.
• Market Access Initiative (MAI). Now Market Access Support (MAS). About ₹118.65 crore of MAI arrears had been approved by February 2026.

Who it targets

The mission explicitly targets MSMEs, first-time exporters and labour-intensive value chains. It gives priority to sectors hit hardest by global tariff escalation, notably textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, engineering goods and marine products, and it directs Niryat Disha support towards interior and low-export-intensity districts.

What it is not

• It is not automatic. Most support needs you to register your intent before you borrow or spend.
• It is not a general cash grant. Most financial support is paid through banks or as reimbursement after export.
• It is not RoDTEP or duty drawback. Those remain separate schemes claimed on the shipping bill. See Guide 1.

Niryat Protsahan vs Niryat Disha

Think of Protsahan as the money arm and Disha as the capability arm.

Outlays are the approximate split reported at approval; the PIB release gives the total of ₹25,060 crore.

All 11 interventions

Each row shows who qualifies, what you receive, the cap and the route to apply. Interventions 6 to 11 are the non-financial arm. Items 8 to 11 are mainly institution-facing.

Niryat Protsahan: five financial interventions

Niryat Disha: six non-financial interventions

Sources: PIB backgrounders of 6 December 2025 and 24 February 2026, DGFT trade notices, and trade press for the branding intervention. Caps and lists can be revised by notice, so confirm on dgft.gov.in and trade.gov.in before claiming.

Which intervention fits you

Start from your problem, not the scheme names.

How to apply

Flow A: Niryat Protsahan (finance)

1. Check eligibility before you borrow: MSME status, valid IEC, goods on the notified list, rupee export credit from a lender under RBI’s master directions.
2. File an Intent to Avail on the DGFT portal. The system generates a Unique Identification Number (UIN).
3. Give the UIN to your bank or factoring firm. From FY 2026-27 the UIN must be generated within 15 days of disbursal, and it is safest to generate it before. Use separate UINs for pre-shipment and post-shipment credit.
4. The bank disburses and passes on the benefit upfront, then submits an externally audited claim. Since 1 April 2026 claims for interest subvention go to EXIM Bank.
5. Renew when needed. A FY 2025-26 UIN covered claims to 31 March 2026. If credit stays outstanding, you need a fresh or revised UIN for FY 2026-27.

Flow B: Niryat Disha (TRACE and LIFT)

1. File an Intent-to-Claim on trade.gov.in before you obtain the certification or transport service.
2. Use the service and complete the export. Keep invoices, payment proof, test or certificate copies and shipping documents.
3. Submit a Reimbursement Claim after export completion, with supporting documents and self-certification.

Flow C: proposals (FLOW, INSIGHT, MAS and branding)

1. An eligible institution submits a proposal on trade.gov.in.
2. The EPM Division evaluates it, the Sub-Committee recommends it and the Steering Committee gives final approval.

Rules that decide your claim

Most rejected claims fail on timing or paperwork, not on eligibility. These are the rules that matter most, drawn from DGFT’s 2026 amendments.

• Get the UIN before disbursal. From FY 2026-27 a UIN generated within 15 days of disbursal is valid. The one-time relaxation to 31 May 2026 applied only to FY 2025-26 and was not extended.
• Separate UINs for pre-shipment and post-shipment credit. One UIN cannot serve both.
• No portability. If you move to a different bank or lender, you need a fresh UIN.
• Old IES UINs are invalid for EPM interest subvention.
• Positive list matters. Subvention is only for goods on the notified six-digit HSN list. If a line is later made ineligible, pre-shipment credit already disbursed stays eligible, but post-shipment credit disbursed afterwards does not.
• Renewals and top-ups: only the incremental credit counts as new exposure.
• Only the actual outstanding period qualifies, and subvention is not admissible if the account turns non-performing before the export cycle completes.
• Deemed exports are excluded from interest subvention.
• The rate is the rate on the date of disbursal. Revised rates apply only to facilities sanctioned after the notification date.
• Intent first, spend second for TRACE and LIFT. A cost incurred before you file the Intent-to-Claim may not qualify.
• Annual caps are per financial year: ₹50 lakh interest subvention, ₹25 lakh TRACE, ₹20 lakh LIFT. Track your use through the year.
• Do not claim the same expense twice under different schemes. Check each scheme’s guidelines on overlap.

Worked examples

These are simple illustrations using the published percentages and caps. Your actual benefit depends on the notified lists, your bank, the actual cost net of taxes and the guidelines in force on the date you act.

Printable EPM readiness checklist

• Active IEC, with the annual update done (check it as in Guide 2)
• Udyam registration in the same legal name, with the right category (micro, small or medium)
• PAN, IEC and GSTIN consistent, with the GST registration active
• Product’s six-digit HSN code checked against the notified positive list
• A bank relationship with an export credit facility, and the bank’s EPM contact person
• Annual cap tracker started for the financial year (subvention, TRACE, LIFT)
• UIN generated before disbursal and recorded, with separate UINs for pre- and post-shipment
• Intent-to-Claim filed before any certification or freight spend
• Invoices, payment proofs, test reports and shipping documents filed for each claim
• Calendar reminders for UIN renewal each financial year and for new DGFT notices

Print this page for your claim file. The layout prints cleanly.

Mission progress so far

Early uptake gives a sense of how fast the mission is moving.

These are the latest official figures we found, from February 2026. We will update this table when newer official numbers are published.

Related support and how the EPM fits

• Tax-remission schemes. RoDTEP and RoSCTL continue to 31 December 2026 and are claimed on the shipping bill. See Guide 1. Check each scheme’s conditions before claiming the same expense twice.
• Credit Guarantee Scheme for Exporters (CGSE). The Government approved up to ₹20,000 crore of additional collateral-free credit for exporters, with 100% guarantee cover and extra working capital of up to 20% of sanctioned limits. The stated validity was up to 31 March 2026, so ask your bank or check DGFT whether it continues.
• RBI relief measures (November 2025). Time-limited measures included a repayment moratorium and longer export credit tenure. Treat them as transitional.
• Payment deadline. From 1 October 2026 export proceeds must be realised within nine months (twelve for rupee exports). Export factoring can help your cash flow while you wait. See Guide 1.
• Verification. Before you take factoring or trade finance for a buyer, verify the buyer with the checklist in Guide 2.

Dates to bookmark

Using LinksIndia

LinksIndia is a B2B directory that connects buyers and sellers directly and is not a party to any deal. If you are applying for EPM support, a profile that shows your IEC, GSTIN, Udyam category, certifications and products helps buyers and lenders understand your business, and you can reuse the same details in your applications. LinksIndia is not connected to DGFT or the EPM, and it does not process EPM applications.

Glossary

Official sources directory

Always confirm on the issuing portal. These are the sources this guide relies on.

Frequently asked questions

Knowledgebase series and change log

Coming next: the nine-month payment rule in depth, RoDTEP status and rates, an export documents checklist, UK CETA and spice-export guides.

Change log

We re-check the tracker whenever DGFT issues an EPM trade notice. If you spot something outdated, tell us through the contact page.

Disclaimer. LinksIndia is an independent directory and not a government body or a DGFT agent. This guide is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice. Scheme rules change by notice; confirm with the official source or a qualified professional before applying.