India’s DGFT has eliminated the need for physical duty payment challans for Export Obligation Discharge Certificates, streamlining export compliance through a new electronic system aimed at faster processing and reduced paperwork.
India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade has dropped the requirement for exporters to file physical duty payment challans when seeking Export Obligation Discharge Certificates under the Advance Authorisation and Export Promotion Capital Goods schemes, in a procedural change aimed at cutting paperwork and speeding up closures.
The new system applies to voluntary duty payments made on or after August 1, 2026. Instead of submitting paper proof, exporters will have their licence-wise payment data pulled electronically from Customs and ICEGATE into DGFT’s online systems, where it can be verified against the relevant authorisation.
That shift matters because Advance Authorisation allows duty-free imports of inputs used in export products, while the EPCG scheme permits concessional or zero-duty import of capital goods linked to an export commitment. If an exporter falls short of the obligation, it can regularise the case by paying the duty saved, plus interest, before applying for an EODC to close the authorisation. DGFT says the electronic route should reduce follow-up, manual checking and in-person interaction, especially for smaller exporters that handle compliance without dedicated teams.
According to DGFT, authenticated payment details will be visible to exporters on its Customer Portal so they can confirm the money has been mapped correctly before filing an application. Regional authorities will also be able to access the same authenticated records through the back office, which should remove the need for manual verification on the government side.
The change was formalised in Trade Notice No. 15/2026-27 dated August 5, 2026. It fits into the government’s broader push to link trade systems digitally and move towards a lighter-touch regulatory model that relies more on verified data than on paper documentation.
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