To prepare to export, choose a product and destination using evidence of demand, check the product’s classification and rules for both India and the destination, then plan documents, packaging, shipping and cash flow around that specific route. There is no single export checklist that settles every requirement: permissions, standards and paperwork depend on the product, destination and sales channel.
How do you choose what to sell and where?
Start with a defined product and a short list of destination markets, rather than treating “export” as one market. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) recommends checking foreign demand, comparing similar products and prices on e-commerce platforms in the destination, and meeting buyers at trade fairs or buyer-seller events. Its E-Commerce Exports Handbook for MSMEs, issued on 3 January 2023, names textiles and apparel, leather goods, handicrafts and home décor, beauty and personal care, jewellery, automotive parts, AYUSH and herbal products, spices and foods, tea and coffee, engineering goods, and religious artifacts as areas with potential. These are possibilities to investigate, not a guarantee of demand, access or profit in a particular country.
Compare markets before choosing one
For each candidate destination, record the buyer segment you can serve, comparable products and selling prices, local shopping habits, seasonal demand, competition and market-access requirements. A price visible on a marketplace is not your expected export price: account for product cost, packaging, shipping, duties or other charges where applicable, platform or payment costs, and the cost of handling returns. Build the estimate for the particular route and sales channel; do not base a decision on an old market-size figure or a broad product trend.
Test the opportunity with buyers
Use trade fairs, buyer-seller meetings and direct buyer conversations to test whether the product, order size, specifications and delivery schedule match an actual need. Before accepting an order, clarify who is responsible for shipping, customs-related steps, delivery and returns. Those details affect both the buyer’s landed cost and your cash-flow exposure.
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What should you verify before committing to an order?
Identify the ITC(HS) classification
Find the product’s Indian Tariff Classification (Harmonised System), or ITC(HS), code before treating a shipment as export-ready. Use the classification to check the current Indian export policy and to investigate requirements in the destination market. The DGFT handbook describes export goods as free, restricted or prohibited; restricted goods may require export authorization. Its examples explain the framework but cannot determine the status of an unspecified product. Confirm the live policy for the exact item and shipment before you quote or dispatch.
Check standards and permissions on both sides
Requirements may come from Indian partner government agencies as well as authorities in the importing market. Product standards, testing, labelling, certification and permissions vary by item and destination. DGFT’s 2023 handbook gives pharmaceutical and organic products as examples where certification requirements may apply; that does not establish which certificate any particular business needs. Ask the relevant Indian authorities and destination-market regulator or qualified trade professional to confirm the rules for your product and route.
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- Confirm whether the product is free, restricted or prohibited under current Indian export policy and whether authorization is required.
- Confirm destination-market import rules, product standards, testing, certification and labelling before production or shipment.
- Check that the buyer’s requested specifications and documents match the rules, not just the buyer’s own checklist.
Which business and export documents should you prepare?
In its e-commerce export guidance, DGFT lists a firm PAN, an Indian bank account and its AD code, GSTIN, and Importer Exporter Code (IEC) among general requirements. Treat that as a starting point for the e-commerce context, not a complete or universally sufficient list: product, channel and current rules may add requirements. Verify the applicable requirements with DGFT, customs, GST and the relevant authorities before an order is accepted.
For each shipment, prepare the invoice and shipment details required by the chosen channel, and confirm whether product-specific permissions or supporting documents must accompany them. Keep business, bank and shipment information consistent across documents; discrepancies can delay processing. Do not assume that having an IEC alone clears a product for export.
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How should you choose packaging and a shipping route?
Design the package for the whole journey
Choose packaging with the product, weight, contents, transport mode and journey length in mind. It must protect the goods through repeated handling, not only look suitable at dispatch. Fragile goods and certain contents may need special packing. Check carrier requirements as well as destination rules, including any restrictions or special handling that apply to the contents.
Compare shipping options for the actual route
For e-commerce parcels, DGFT’s handbook discusses postal services, courier, international logistics providers, integrated pickup-and-delivery services and fourth-party logistics (4PL). Compare offers for your origin, destination and package rather than choosing by headline price alone.
| Decision factor | What to confirm with each service |
|---|---|
| Route and package fit | Destination coverage, eligible contents, weight and size limits, and any route exclusions. |
| Delivery and visibility | Expected delivery time, tracking availability and how delays or delivery failures are handled. |
| Customs and returns | What customs support is included, who handles required information, and how returns or undeliverable parcels are managed. |
| Financial exposure | Total fees for the route, any compensation terms, and what happens if a parcel is lost or damaged. |
Include delivery, tracking and customs clearance in the buyer experience and your own cost calculation. The handbook emphasizes the importance of fast, reliable delivery and customs clearance, but a service’s coverage, timing and terms must be confirmed directly for your shipment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What shipment workflow should you plan for?
India Post e-commerce and other export shipments
DGFT’s 2023 handbook describes an India Post process in which exporters register using IEC, GSTIN and bank AD code, select the applicable Postal Bill of Export form, submit shipment details and an invoice, and attach the generated barcode label. It identifies PBE III for e-commerce exports and PBE IV for other exports. Because procedures and forms can change, check the current India Post and official government instructions before relying on those steps for a live shipment.
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- Confirm the product, destination and current permissions before accepting the order.
- Register and provide the required business and bank details under the current India Post process.
- Select the form for the shipment type: the handbook describes PBE III for e-commerce or PBE IV for other exports.
- Submit shipment details and invoice as required, then attach the generated barcode label in accordance with current carrier instructions.
- Retain shipment and dispatch records and monitor tracking through delivery.
A thermal label printer may be convenient if you regularly print parcel barcode labels, but it is not an export-readiness requirement. Confirm the carrier’s current label dimensions and format before buying equipment or printing labels.
Courier shipments
For courier exports, the handbook describes working with an authorized courier and providing shipment details. Confirm the courier’s current authorization, service limits, documentation requirements, customs support, fees and handling of returns for your route. Do not assume that a process described for India Post applies unchanged to a courier shipment.
How can you protect cash flow while starting to export?
Export readiness is also a cash-flow decision. Before taking an order, estimate the costs you will incur before payment arrives: production, compliant packaging, testing or certification, freight, insurance, and any channel or payment charges. Check when the buyer pays, who pays shipping and other charges, and whether you can absorb a delay, return or replacement. Use route-specific quotations and the buyer’s agreed terms rather than assuming a reimbursement or a delivery estimate will cover a shortfall.
- Price the order after estimating the full route cost and any product-specific compliance expense.
- Agree on payment timing and responsibility for shipping, customs-related tasks and returns before dispatch.
- Keep a record of quotations, invoices, permissions, certificates and shipment events to support reconciliation and follow-up.
What support may be available to MSME exporters?
The Ministry of MSME’s RAMP International Cooperation page, last updated 3 July 2026, describes support such as capacity building through international exhibitions and buyer-seller meets, market intelligence, and reimbursement of certain export-related costs. Its first-time exporter guidance lists possible reimbursement categories including RCMC charges, export insurance premiums, and testing or quality-certification fees.
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These descriptions do not establish that a particular business or expense qualifies. Check the current official scheme guidance for eligibility, reimbursement ceilings, dates and application steps before including support in a budget. Treat any reimbursement as uncertain until your eligibility and the operative terms are confirmed.
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