The Mission has a total outlay of ₹25,060 crore for the period FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31. EPM is designed to enhance India's export competitiveness, with a focused emphasis on MSMEs, first-time exporters, labour-intensive sectors, and exporters from interior and low-export-intensity regions.

A Structural Shift: From Fragmentation to Integration

At its core, EPM represents a transition from multiple fragmented export-support schemes to a single, outcome-oriented platform led by Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The DGFT will act as the implementing agency, operating a dedicated digital platform for end-to-end processes, from application to approval to disbursal, aligned with trade and customs systems. The Mission emphasizes inter-ministerial coordination, state partnership and data-driven monitoring. For the technology sector, where speed, compliance, and global integration are critical, this shift is particularly relevant.

A unified digital interface for approvals, incentives, and compliance reduces transaction friction. This means:

• Faster access to export-linked benefits
• Improved predictability in policy support
• Reduced administrative overheads

The EPM operates through two integrated sub-schemes that together address finance and non-financial enablers:

Financial Enablers: Unlocking Growth for Digital Exporters

The Niryat Protsahan component focuses on financial support traditionally more aligned with goods exports but increasingly relevant for tech companies as well.

Key implications for the tech sector:

• Improved access to export credit: Particularly valuable for mid-sized IT firms and startups scaling globally
• Support for e-commerce and digital exports: Enabling cross-border SaaS and platform-based business models
• Credit guarantee expansion (₹20,000 crore): Reduces risk for lenders, potentially easing capital access for emerging tech exporters

For startups and MSMEs in the digital ecosystem, this could help bridge a persistent gap: access to affordable working capital for global expansion.

Market Readiness & Compliance: A Critical Lever for Exports

The Niryat Disha pillar addresses non-financial enablers arguably where the biggest impact for IT and tech companies lies.

As global markets tighten regulatory and compliance requirements, Indian firms must increasingly align with:

• Data protection and privacy regimes (including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act)
• Cybersecurity and digital trust standards
• Cross-border digital taxation and localisation norms

EPM's focus on certification, audits, and international standards can help firms especially smaller players navigate these complexities more effectively. Additionally, support for branding, global market access, and participation in trade platforms can enhance the visibility of Indian tech products and platforms beyond traditional services exports.

Digital-First Governance: A Natural Fit for the Tech Sector

One of the most forward-looking aspects of EPM is its digital implementation architecture. The end-to-end platform approach aligns closely with how technology companies operate data-driven, real-time, and process-efficient.

For the IT industry, this creates opportunities beyond compliance:

• Integration with trade and customs systems could enable better export analytics
• Data-driven monitoring may allow sector-specific policy refinements
• Faster turnaround times can improve business agility in competitive global markets

Expanding the Export Base: Opportunities Beyond Tier-1 Cities

A notable feature of the Mission is its emphasis on non-traditional districts and emerging export hubs. By supporting infrastructure, logistics, and capacity building at the district level, EPM could indirectly accelerate the decentralisation of exports unlocking new talent clusters and reducing cost pressures.

RBI Support: Easing the Operating Environment

The Mission's effectiveness is further reinforced by complementary steps announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease liquidity pressures in the export sector amid global trade disruptions. In November 2025, the RBI issued the Reserve Bank of India (Trade Relief Measures) Directions, 2025, aimed at mitigating debt-servicing stress and promoting the continuity of viable export-oriented businesses.

Together, these regulatory and fiscal measures provide an integrated framework of support to exporters maintaining liquidity, protecting credit discipline and aligning with the Mission's goal of an enhanced export-ecosystem.

Strategic Implications of EPM

EPM is expected to:

• Improve access to affordable trade finance for MSMEs
• Raise export-readiness through compliance and certification support
• Enhance market access, branding and visibility of Indian products
• Boost exports from non-traditional districts and sectors
• Generate employment across manufacturing, logistics and allied services

These outcomes align with national objectives, strengthening export-led growth, promoting Atmanirbhar Bharat and contributing to the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. By consolidating and modernising export support, the Mission aims to make India a resilient, trusted and competitive partner in global trade.

The Road Ahead

EPM marks a significant step toward a more integrated, technology-enabled export ecosystem. The success of EPM will depend on execution particularly the effectiveness of its digital platform, coordination across stakeholders, and responsiveness to evolving global trade dynamics. As global trade becomes more digital, regulated, and competitive, India's ability to align policy, finance, and technology will determine its next phase of export growth. EPM, if effectively implemented, can serve as a catalyst in positioning India not just as a leading exporter of IT services, but as a comprehensive and competitive player in the global digital economy.

Director - Public Policy