Govt rolls out market access support scheme to push Indian exports into new markets
The commerce ministry said the move signals a shift towards more structured and outcome-driven efforts to help Indian exporters, especially MSMEs and first-time exporters, gain a foothold in overseas markets.
New Delhi: Nearly two months after the cabinet cleared the export promotion mission (EPM) on 12 November, the government launched the market access support (MAS) intervention on Wednesday. The MAS will strengthen buyer connect, improve visibility of Indian products abroad, and support exporters, especially small businesses, in navigating entry into priority and emerging markets, the commerce ministry said in a statement.
The MAS intervention will be implemented under the Niryat Disha sub-scheme of the EPM. The move signals a shift towards more structured and outcome-driven efforts to help Indian exporters, especially MSMEs and first-time exporters, gain a foothold in overseas markets, according to the ministry’s statement.
The export promotion mission is being jointly implemented by the department of commerce, the ministry of MSME and the ministry of finance, in coordination with Indian missions overseas, export promotion councils, commodity boards and industry bodies.
What MAS provides
Under the MAS framework, the government will provide financial and institutional support for buyer-seller meets, participation in international trade fairs and exhibitions, mega reverse buyer-seller meets hosted in India, and trade delegations to targeted export destinations.
The government will also prepare a three-to-five-year calendar of major market access events, allowing exporters and organising agencies to plan participation well in advance and ensuring continuity in market development efforts, the ministry said.
Mandatory online feedback from participating exporters will be introduced to assess buyer quality, business leads generated and overall market relevance of each event. Based on these inputs, the MAS guidelines will be refined over time, indicating a shift towards data-led evaluation of export promotion spending, the ministry said.
All processes, including event listings, proposal submissions, approvals, participant onboarding, fund release and monitoring, will be routed through the government’s trade portal, trade.gov.in, it said, adding that this would improve transparency, reduce processing time and make access easier for exporters across regions.
At least 35% participation by MSMEs has been mandated for supported events, with added emphasis on new geographies and smaller markets to diversify India’s export base beyond traditional destinations, it noted.
The scheme also introduces rationalised financial ceilings and cost-sharing norms, with higher support earmarked for priority sectors and markets.
Small exporters with export turnover of up to ₹75 lakh in the previous year will be eligible for partial airfare support, a step aimed at lowering entry barriers for new exporters who often struggle with the upfront costs of overseas outreach.
According to the ministry, a new component for proofs-of-concept and product demonstrations to overseas buyers, particularly in technology-intensive and sunrise sectors, will be notified shortly.
Additional digital tools for lead tracking, exporter follow-up and market intelligence integration are also planned to strengthen outcome measurement, it added.
Experts have termed the rollout of the MAS scheme as timely.
“The rollout of the scheme will provide much-needed financial support to exporters to showcase their products across different markets. This will certainly help in pushing Brand India globally," said Pankaj Chadha, chairman, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC).
He added that at a time when engineering exporters are facing headwinds in traditional markets, the scheme could play a key role in helping them access new regions.
Echoing similar views, Vinod Kumar, president, SME Forum, said that for many MSME exporters, the biggest challenge is not production but access to overseas buyers. “The Market Access Support scheme directly addresses this gap by lowering the cost and risk of entering new markets and by creating structured, repeat buyer engagement instead of one-off events," he said.
“The Market Access Support intervention will help textile and apparel exporters expand into more countries and, in turn, support job creation and livelihood opportunities at home," said Ashwin Chandran, chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).
Understanding the EPM
The export promotion mission (EPM), with an outlay of ₹25,060 crore for FY26 to FY31, is part of two cabinet-approved initiatives of a combined ₹45,060 crore aimed at strengthening India’s export ecosystem and easing liquidity pressures for exporters.
Along with the Mission, the government also cleared the credit guarantee scheme for exporters, signalling a policy push as Indian exporters face slowing global demand, tighter trade finance and rising trade barriers.
Anchored by the department of commerce, the EPM will consolidate multiple export support schemes into a single framework and operate through two sub-schemes—Niryat Protsahan, focused on affordable trade finance, and Niryat Disha, targeting non-financial enablers such as compliance support, branding, logistics and market access. Of the total outlay, ₹10,400 crore has been earmarked for Niryat Protsahan and ₹14,660 crore for Niryat Disha.
The Mission will prioritise sectors hit by recent global tariff hikes, including textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, engineering goods and marine products, with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade acting as the nodal implementing agency through a fully digital process.
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