The government on Wednesday launched a ₹4,531 crore market access support (MAS) intervention scheme for a six-year period (FY26-31) to improve the global reach, visibility and competitiveness of Indian exporters through “structured and outcome-oriented” interventions.
Who is the market access support scheme aimed at benefiting?
The scheme is aimed at benefiting first-time exporters and firms from priority sectors such as agriculture, leather, handloom and toys, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) exporters. MAS has been launched under the ₹25,060 crore export promotion mission approved by the Union Cabinet in November.
Is the MAS scheme meant to counter US tariffs?
The scheme’s launch came against the backdrop of exporters grappling with challenges due to the imposition of a 50 per cent tariff by the United States on several Indian products. Department of Commerce additional secretary and Director General of Foreign Trade Ajay Bhadoo told reporters the scheme mainly aims to resolve the long-term disabilities or challenges exporters face and should not be seen as a measure to counter US tariffs.
How much funding is allocated to MAS in the current fiscal?
During the current fiscal, ₹500 crore has been allocated towards the scheme. To begin with, arrears worth ₹330 crore will be cleared at the earliest.
Why does MAS have an MSME bias?
Bhadoo also said the scheme will have an MSME bias as it not only focuses on export product and market diversification but also on the diversification of beneficiaries so that more exporters can benefit from it.
What other export support scheme is the government planning?
The government has also planned an interest equalisation scheme worth over ₹5,000 crore, which will be notified soon, Bhadoo said.
What support will MAS provide to exporters?
Under MAS, structured financial and institutional support will be provided for buyer-seller meets, participation in international trade fairs and exhibitions, mega reverse buyer-seller meets organised in India, and trade delegations to priority and emerging export markets.
A forward-looking three-to-five-year calendar of major market access events will be prepared and approved in advance, enabling exporters and organising agencies to plan participation well ahead of time and ensuring continuity of market development efforts.
“A minimum participation of 35 per cent MSMEs has been mandated for supported events, with special prioritisation being accorded to new geographies and smaller markets to encourage export diversification. Event-level financial support ceilings and cost-sharing ratios have been rationalised, with preferential support being extended to priority sectors and markets. Small exporters with export turnover of up to ₹75 lakh in the preceding year will be provided partial airfare support to encourage participation by new and small exporters,” the commerce department said in a statement.
How will the government assess performance under the scheme?
Bhadoo further said the government will also create an index to evaluate the performance of exporters during the duration of the scheme. India has moved away from subsidising exports and instead is relying on remission mechanisms through schemes such as RoDTEP and RoSCTL.
