New Delhi, March 19 The government launched the RELIEF (Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation) scheme on Thursday, with an outlay of ₹497 crore, to provide relief to Indian exporters facing disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Speaking at a press conference, Commerce Ministry Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said, "We are announcing a new scheme under the Export Promotion mission, specifically aimed at exporters who are exposed to these 17-18 geographies that have been impacted by the conflict, to address some of the challenges that our exporters are facing."
He also informed that an inter-ministerial group (IMG) has been set up, comprising various government departments, including the Commerce Ministry, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ports and Shipping, the Department of Financial Services, the Ministry of External Affairs, the RBI, CBIC, etc., which meets daily to assess the evolving situation based on cargo movement.
The RELIEF scheme, with ECGC (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India) as the implementing agency, includes automatic extension of export obligations, logistical support, and potential financial measures to manage shipping delays.
The RELIEF scheme primarily covers consignments destined for delivery or trans-shipment to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, and Yemen.
The scheme has three key components. Component I includes Export Obligation Extensions: Automatic extension for Advance Authorisations and EPCG authorisations (due between March 1 and May 31, 2026) until August 31, 2026, without penalty. It protects shipments already insured by ECGC within the immediate one-month window from February 14-March 15.
Component II is aimed at encouraging and facilitating ECGC coverage for upcoming export consignments over a three-month period from March 16 to June 15.
Component III specifically targets MSMEs to protect them from surcharge shocks and partially reimburse extraordinary freight and insurance costs over a one-month period from February 14 to March 15. This is applicable for MSME exporters who have not taken ECGC coverage.