India’s Market Access Initiative receives a significant boost with new reforms, making international market entry more accessible for small and first-time exporters amid evolving government support frameworks worth over ₹4,500 crore.
India’s Market Access Initiative has become a practical tool for exporters that want to test new overseas markets without bearing the full cost themselves. The programme, run by the Department of Commerce, helps pay for activities such as trade fairs, market studies, overseas showrooms and compulsory product registrations, according to material from the Marine Products Export Development Authority and other government-linked sources. Its basic logic is simple: exporters, export promotion councils and trade bodies often have the sales potential, but not always the budget, to establish a foothold abroad.
The scheme was launched in 2003 and is built around a focus product, focus market model, which directs support towards specific goods and the countries most likely to buy them. It has been revised several times, with its current cycle running from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2026, according to trade and policy summaries. That structure sets MAI apart from other export incentives: RoDTEP refunds embedded taxes after shipment, EPCG supports duty-free capital-goods imports, and RCMC is a gateway registration rather than a funding programme. MAI, by contrast, is aimed at the front end of export growth, when a company is still trying to win attention and prove itself in a new market.
Eligibility is broadest for institutions and trade bodies. Export promotion councils, commodity boards, industry and trade associations, government agencies, Indian missions abroad and selected national institutions can seek support, while individual exporters generally qualify only for statutory compliance costs such as testing, certification and product registration in the destination country. Applicants must also have a valid IEC, an active RCMC and no place on the Denied Entity List. Industry guidance notes that many councils also expect continuous membership for at least 12 months before a proposal will be considered, which can frustrate first-time applicants who register too late for a planned event.
Government documents also show that the scheme’s cost-sharing model typically covers between 50% and 65% of eligible project costs, though the Empowered Committee can adjust that depending on the product or territory in question. The 2023 changes widened access in important ways, including a turnover-linked ceiling for general exporters and lower entry requirements for DPIIT-recognised start-ups, which can also receive 50% reimbursement for economy-class air travel when attending their first overseas event. That makes MAI more relevant than before to smaller firms that need help taking their first step into international trade.
The policy landscape is now shifting again. In late 2025 and early 2026, the government unveiled the Market Access Support Intervention under the Export Promotion Mission, a larger framework designed to back overseas exhibitions, buyer-seller meets and trade delegations for MSMEs, first-time exporters and priority sectors. Business Standard reported that the new support package carries a budget of ₹4,531 crore over six years, with ₹500 crore set aside for 2025-26, signalling that market-access support remains a central part of India’s export strategy even as the names and delivery mechanisms evolve. For exporters, the message is unchanged: finding buyers abroad still costs money, and the state is increasingly willing to share that cost.
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