Export push: Govt launches Rs 4,531-cr market access support for exporters; MSMEs, priority sectors in focus

The government on Wednesday launched a Rs 4,531-crore Market Access Support (MAS) scheme to help Indian exporters participate in international fairs, exhibitions and buyer-seller meets, offering a boost at a time when shipments face headwinds from steep US tariffs, PTI reported.The MAS is the first component to be operationalised under the Rs 25,060-crore export promotion mission aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of Indian exporters. The remaining components will be rolled out by the end of January, Director General of Foreign Trade Ajay Badhoo said.Under the MAS, Rs 4,531 crore has been allocated for the six-year period from 2025 to 2031. For 2025-26, Rs 500 crore has been earmarked, given that only three months remain in the current fiscal year. Of this, Rs 330 crore will be used to clear pending dues of the earlier Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme, which functioned as a standalone programme until the last financial year.The scheme will provide structured financial and institutional support for activities such as Buyer-Seller Meets (BSMs), participation in international trade fairs and exhibitions, and Mega Reverse Buyer-Seller Meets (RBSMs) organised in India. Assistance for BSMs has been capped at Rs 5 crore per event, while support for RBSMs can go up to Rs 10 crore. For trade delegations, the cap has been set at Rs 5 crore.For each approved event, the government will bear 60 per cent of the cost, with the remaining 40 per cent to be met by the private sector. For priority areas, government support can rise to 80 per cent, Badhoo said, adding that 35 per cent of participation slots in BSMs and trade delegations have been reserved for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).Priority sectors identified under the MAS include agriculture and allied industries, handicrafts, handlooms, leather, sports goods, telecom, defence, tourism, medical, logistics, legal, audio-visual, communications, construction and environment-related services.The DGFT said a new component for proofs-of-concept and product demonstrations to potential overseas buyers, particularly in technology-intensive, emerging and sunrise sectors, will be notified shortly. This has been introduced at the request of the ministries of telecom, IT and electronics.“Mandatory online feedback mechanisms will be instituted for exporters participating in each supported event, covering parameters such as buyer quality, business leads generated and market relevance,” Badhoo said, adding that the MAS guidelines will be progressively refined based on feedback and implementation experience.A forward-looking three-to-five-year calendar of major market access events will also be prepared and approved in advance, allowing exporters and organising agencies to plan participation well ahead of time and ensuring continuity in market development efforts.The export promotion mission approved by the Cabinet in November has two broad components — Niryat Protsahan and Niryat Disha. Of the total outlay, Rs 10,401 crore has been allocated for Niryat Protsahan and Rs 14,659 crore for Niryat Disha.Niryat Protsahan focuses on reducing the cost of credit and includes measures such as interest subvention for MSME exporters, which alone is expected to cost about Rs 5,000 crore. It will also provide collateral guarantees, support for export factoring, credit enhancement to improve borrowers’ credit profiles, and credit cards.India’s exports rebounded 19.37 per cent to a six-month high of $38.13 billion in November after contracting in October, driven by higher shipments of engineering and electronics goods. This helped narrow the trade deficit to a five-month low of $24.53 billion, according to official data.