How to Export Food Products From India — the Products India Leads In (Rice, Spices, Marine, Buffalo Meat, Sugar, Guar Gum, Dairy, Fruit and Vegetables, Millets, Tea), the Registrations (IEC, APEDA RCMC, FSSAI Central Licence, EIC/EIA Approval, Spices Board, MPEDA, Tea Board), the Certificates Each Consignment Needs (Phytosanitary, Health, Certificate of Origin, Halal, Organic/NPOP, Lab Reports), Importing-Country Rules (US FDA, EU, Gulf), Logistics and Cold Chain, GST Under LUT, RoDTEP and APEDA Assistance, and a Start-Up Checklist
APEDA RCMC
Registration-cum-membership for scheduled products — ₹5,000 + GST, valid 5 years, e-RCMC through DGFT
FSSAI central
Exporters need a central licence (₹7,500 a year) with the export category; EIC/EIA approval for meat, dairy, marine, egg and honey
0% GST
Exports under LUT with refund of input credit; RoDTEP and duty drawback on top for eligible lines
Rice #1
India's largest agri-export line by value; spices, marine products, buffalo meat and sugar follow
Guide by BookMyCA's Chartered Accountants · pan-India serviceLast verified against official guidelines on 7 September 2026.
Video Explanation & Insights
Top 10 food products exported from India — where the opportunity is
4 videos on this topic
What India exports — and where a new exporter can enter
| Product line | Why India leads | Entry note |
|---|---|---|
| Rice (basmati and non-basmati) | Largest agri-export line; APEDA registers basmati exporters and monitors contracts | Merchant exporters start with FOB contracts from established millers; watch MEP/export-policy changes on non-basmati |
| Spices and spice products | Largest producer, consumer and exporter; chilli, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, seed spices from Rajasthan/Gujarat | Spices Board RCMC; aflatoxin/pesticide testing; EU/US MRLs |
| Marine products | Frozen shrimp is the largest single item to the US/China/EU | MPEDA registration; EIA-approved processing plant; HACCP |
| Buffalo meat | Among the largest exporters (Gulf, Vietnam, Egypt, Malaysia) | APEDA-registered integrated abattoir-cum-meat plant; Halal; EIA |
| Sugar, guar gum, oil meals | World's top guar producer (Rajasthan); sugar exports policy-driven | Guar gum powder/splits to the US oil industry and food additives; sugar needs DGFT quota awareness |
| Dairy | Largest milk producer; ghee, milk powder, casein, paneer to Gulf/US/Bangladesh | EIA approval of the dairy plant; APEDA RCMC; country-specific listings |
| Fruit and vegetables | Mangoes (Alphonso/Kesar), bananas, grapes, onions, pomegranates; fresh and processed (pulp, pickles) | Phytosanitary certificate; pack-house registration for fresh; irradiation/hot-water treatment for the US/Australia |
| Millets, pulses, cereals | Millet promotion since 2023; pulses and wheat policy-dependent | APEDA RCMC; check the export policy (free/restricted) before contracting |
| Tea and coffee | Assam/Darjeeling/Nilgiri; instant tea/coffee | Tea Board/Coffee Board RCMC; geographical-indication rules for Darjeeling |
| Processed foods and ready-to-eat | Fastest-growing category to the diaspora markets | FSSAI export endorsement; labelling per destination; shelf-life studies |
Registrations — in the order to take them
- 1Entity, PAN, GST and a current account with an AD-code-registered bank; Udyam if MSME.
- 2IEC from DGFT (online, ₹500) — the exporter's identity for Customs and every council.
- 3Council RCMC by product: APEDA (fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat and poultry, dairy, processed foods, floriculture, alcoholic beverages — ₹5,000 + GST, 5 years, via DGFT e-RCMC with IEC, bank certificate and the product list); Spices Board (spices; CRES certificate); MPEDA (marine); Tea Board and Coffee Board; Tobacco Board; oilseeds/oil-meals through IOPEPC or SEA where applicable.
- 4FSSAI: central licence (exporters fall under the central licensing category) with the 'export' business type — ₹7,500 a year; for manufacturers, the manufacturing licence plus the export endorsement; imported ingredients need the import category.
- 5EIC/EIA approval: mandatory for meat and meat products, dairy, fish and fishery products, egg products, honey, poultry — the processing unit is inspected and approved by the Export Inspection Agency; health certificates for each consignment are issued by the EIA.
- 6Pack-house/processing registrations with APEDA (fresh fruit and vegetables, meat plants, peanut units), organic certification under NPOP for organic claims, and Halal certification from an accredited body for Gulf/Muslim-majority markets.
- 7Destination-specific: US FDA food-facility registration (biennial), FSVP importer arrangements and prior notice; EU listing for animal-origin products and compliance with MRL/contaminant limits; Saudi SFDA/GCC ESMA registrations; China GACP registration for food manufacturers.
The documents on every consignment
| Document | Issued by | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice, packing list, shipping bill (or CSB-V/PBE for courier/post) | Exporter / CHA / courier | All |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Plant Quarantine (PQIS) after inspection/fumigation | Plants and plant products — grains, spices, fruit, vegetables, pulses |
| Health certificate | EIA (animal-origin) or FSSAI/notified authority (other foods where the importer requires) | Meat, dairy, marine, egg, honey; increasingly processed foods for the EU/Gulf |
| Certificate of origin | Chambers/EPCs (non-preferential) or DGFT/EPCs for preferential (FTA) origin | Where the buyer or FTA requires |
| Laboratory test report | NABL/APEDA-recognised lab — pesticide residues, aflatoxin, heavy metals, microbiology | Spices, rice, peanuts, fruit and vegetables, processed foods |
| Halal certificate | Accredited Halal body | Gulf, Malaysia, Indonesia |
| Organic transaction certificate | NPOP-accredited certifier | Organic claims |
| Fumigation certificate | Licensed fumigator | Grains, pulses, wooden packaging (ISPM-15) |
| Bill of lading / airway bill, insurance | Carrier / insurer | All; reefer/cold-chain SLAs for perishables |
| e-BRC / FIRA | Bank | Realisation proof for GST refund, RoDTEP and council compliance |
GST, incentives and assistance
- •GST: export under LUT without tax (or with IGST and refund); most food lines are 0–5% domestically, so refund of input credit (packaging, processing services, machinery) is the practical benefit — file RFD-01 quarterly with e-BRC.
- •RoDTEP: on eligible tariff lines (many processed foods; check Appendix 4R — several primary agricultural items are excluded or capped) via the RODTEPY declaration; duty drawback where inputs bore customs duty.
- •APEDA financial assistance: components for infrastructure development (pack-houses, cold storage, reefer vans, processing lines), quality development (lab equipment, certifications), market development (exhibitions, brand promotion) — subsidy percentages and ceilings per the current APEDA scheme guidelines; MPEDA and Spices Board have equivalent schemes.
- •MoFPI: PMFME for micro units (35% up to ₹10 lakh), PMKSY components for larger units (CEFPPC 35–50% up to ₹5 crore; cold chain up to ₹10 crore) — see our scheme pages.
- •Interest equalisation on pre- and post-shipment credit when the scheme is in force; ECGC cover for buyer risk; PCFC in foreign currency from the bank.
- •State support: Rajasthan RIPS 2024 agro and food processing package, mandi-fee exemption for processed exports, ODOP support in districts where the product is notified.
Food exports: questions we are asked
Yes as a merchant exporter — IEC, Spices Board RCMC and FSSAI licence; buy from FSSAI-licensed processors and test each lot at a recognised lab.
Yes for scheduled products — APEDA is the export council registration, FSSAI the food-safety licence; EIA approval is a third layer for animal-origin foods.
Export policy changes for rice, wheat, sugar, onions and pulses by DGFT notification — check the ITC(HS) export policy and any MEP before signing a contract.
Courier (CSB-V) or India Post (PBE) with the same certificates scaled down; many buyers start with sample consignments under ₹1 lakh.
Pesticide residues above MRLs, aflatoxin in spices/peanuts, missing health certificates, labelling errors and temperature breaks — test and document before loading.
Yes — registrations in sequence (IEC, APEDA/Spices Board, FSSAI, EIA), certificate mapping by product and destination, LUT/refunds, RoDTEP, and DPRs for APEDA/MoFPI/RIPS assistance.