Commerce Ministry launches new scheme to help exporters access global markets; who it helps and how it works

The Centre on Wednesday rolled out a new Market Access Support (MAS) Intervention under its Export Promotion Mission (EPM), seeking to systematically expand global market access for Indian exporters, with a specific focus on MSMEs, first-time exporters and firms operating in priority sectors.

The initiative, approved by the Union Cabinet on November 12, is being implemented under the NIRYAT DISHA sub-scheme of the Export Promotion Mission and is designed to strengthen buyer connect and deepen India’s footprint in international markets through structured, outcome-oriented interventions.

In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce said 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 abroad, Export Promotion Councils, Commodity Boards and industry associations.

Under the Market Access Support Intervention, exporters will receive structured financial and institutional support for activities such as 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, allowing exporters and organising agencies to plan participation well ahead of time and ensuring continuity in market development efforts.

The government has mandated that at least 35 per cent of participants in supported events must be MSMEs, while prioritising new geographies and smaller markets to promote export diversification.

Delegation sizes have been benchmarked at a minimum of 50 participants, with flexibility built in depending on market conditions and strategic relevance. Event-level financial support ceilings and cost-sharing ratios have been rationalised, with preferential support earmarked for priority sectors and markets.

To encourage participation by new and small exporters, firms with export turnover of up to Rs 75 lakh in the preceding year will be eligible for partial airfare support. The ministry said all processes - including event listing, proposal submission, approvals, participant onboarding, fund release and monitoring - will be carried out through the trade.gov.in portal to ensure transparency and ease of access.

Mandatory online feedback mechanisms will be instituted for exporters participating in supported events, covering parameters such as buyer quality, business leads generated and market relevance. Based on this feedback and implementation learnings, the MAS guidelines will be progressively refined and institutionalised.

The government will also shortly notify a new component for Proofs-of-Concept and Product Demonstrations for overseas buyers, particularly in technology-intensive, emerging and sunrise sectors, to complement existing market access tools.

Additional digital tools for lead tracking, exporter follow-up and market intelligence integration will be rolled out in phases to strengthen outcome measurement. Through the MAS Intervention, the government aims to provide exporters with predictable market-entry pathways, stronger buyer engagement and data-driven policy support, enabling deeper integration into global value chains and sustained export growth.