The short answer
The Brand India Trust Mark cannot be applied for yet. DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) Trade Notice No. 12/2026-27 dated 14 July 2026 plans it as a voluntary, audit-led certification with three or more tiers, with fees waived for an initial two years once it starts. As on 25 October 2026, no later DGFT notice gives a start date, a portal, tier rules or a certifying body.
The rule that decides everything: until DGFT notifies the Trust Mark rules and its portal, no one can issue the mark to you, so do not pay anyone for it.
Verified as on 19 October 2026 against DGFT Trade Notice No. 12/2026-27 dated 14 July 2026 with Annexures I to V and the Trade Connect ePlatform page for this intervention. DGFT lists of trade notices (latest No. 31/2026-27 dated 21 October 2026), notifications, public notices and policy circulars re-checked on 25 October 2026. Written by Pratham Agarwal, Founder, Rasp International.
3 or moreTrust Mark tiers planned, Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II
2 yearsinitial fee waiver once the Trust Mark starts, Trade Notice 12/2026-27
No datestart date in Trade Notice 12/2026-27 or any later DGFT notice, checked 25 October 2026
0Trust Mark apply links on the Trade Connect page for the intervention, seen 19 October 2026
| Scheme or instrument | Brand India Trust Mark, under the Global Outreach for Branding, Labelling and Export Packaging intervention |
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| Governing body | DGFT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with a planned Brand India Committee (Annexure III) |
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| Parent policy | Export Promotion Mission (EPM), Niryat Disha sub-scheme |
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| Legal basis | Trade Notice No. 12/2026-27 dated 14 July 2026, Annexure II, paragraph 2, Tier 1(d) |
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| Who it is for | Exporters of products and services who choose to join; voluntary under Tier 1(d)(iv) |
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| What you get | The right to carry the Unified Brand India identity, which exporters “must earn” (Tier 1(d)(i)) |
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| Validity or deadline | None notified as on 25 October 2026; periodic audit and re-certification planned (Tier 1(d)(iii)) |
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| Where you apply | Nowhere yet. No Trust Mark portal is named. |
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Why we wrote this
Exporters keep reading one line of Trade Notice 12/2026-27 as an offer open today: “Trust Mark fees shall be waived for an initial period of two years”. The waiver is real on paper. The mark is not built yet, and the same notice funds its “development” under Annexure II, paragraph 5(a)(i). That gap is where exporters lose money to sellers of fake certificates.
Rasp International is an export consultancy founded in 2019, certified to ISO 9001:2015, that has served 500+ exporters since 2019. This post sets out only what the official documents say today.
What the Brand India Trust Mark is
The Brand India Trust Mark is a planned, multi-tier, audit-led certification that will let Indian exporters show overseas buyers consistent quality, origin and traceability, planned by DGFT under the Global Outreach for Branding, Labelling and Export Packaging intervention of the Export Promotion Mission. Trade Notice 12/2026-27 calls it “a verifiable, quality-linked mark that exporters must earn before carrying the Unified Brand India identity”.
The DGFT Export Promotion Mission page splits the Mission into Niryat Protsahan (trade finance) and Niryat Disha (non-financial support such as market access, branding and compliance). The branding intervention sits in Niryat Disha. The Trade Connect ePlatform, DGFT’s online platform for exporters, lists it as GLOBE.
- Unified Brand India Framework: one national brand identity, story and logo system for Indian exports, to be developed by the Brand India Committee (Tier 1(b)).
- Brand India Committee: chaired by the Director General of Foreign Trade, with the Chief Executive Officer of the India Brand Equity Foundation as vice chair (Annexure III).
- Audit-led and re-certification: an auditor checks your unit before you get the mark and again later.
- Tiers: levels of the mark for exporters at different stages of readiness.
Watch one word. Annexure II, paragraph 2 calls the intervention a “two-tier branding framework” (Tier 1 Unified Brand India, Tier 2 sector branding). The Trust Mark sits in Tier 1 and has its own “three or more tiers” (Tier 1(d)(ii)).
Brand India Trust Mark: what exists today and what does not
“On paper” means Trade Notice 12/2026-27 states it. “Not notified” means no official text gives it as on 19 October 2026. Paragraphs are in Annexure II unless stated.
| Item | Status on 19 October 2026 | What the official text says | Source |
|---|
| The Trust Mark as policy | On paper | Unified Brand India “shall be anchored by a Trust Mark” | Para 2, Tier 1(d)(i) |
| The branding intervention | In force | Implemented “prospectively with immediate effect” | Notice, para 1 |
| What the mark signals | On paper | Quality, origin and traceability of products and services | Tier 1(d)(i) |
| Use of the Brand India identity | On paper | Exporters “must earn” the mark first | Tier 1(d)(i) |
| Compulsory or voluntary | Settled: voluntary | Adoption “shall be voluntary” | Tier 1(d)(iv), Tier 1(c)(viii) |
| Number of tiers | Partly | “Three or more tiers”, with a path from lower to higher | Tier 1(d)(ii) and (iii) |
| Tier names and criteria | Not notified | No names, criteria or document list | Full notice |
| Fee model | On paper | “Fee-based certification”, with periodic audit and re-certification | Tier 1(d)(iii) |
| Fee amount | Not notified | No amount for any tier or renewal | Full notice |
| Fee waiver | On paper | “Initial period of two years”, with provision for extension | Tier 1(d)(iv) |
| Start of mark and waiver | Not notified | No date anywhere | Notice; DGFT lists |
| Auditor or certifier | Not notified | Industry and Knowledge Partners “may develop and administer” audit protocols; none named | Para 4(f) |
| Audit frequency | Not notified | Audits required, no frequency or checklist | Tier 1(d)(iii) and (v) |
| Self-regulation framework | Not built | “Shall be developed as the backbone” | Tier 1(d)(v) |
| Money to build the mark | On paper | “Development of Trust Mark”: framework, guidelines, online monitoring | Para 5(a)(i) |
| Unified Brand India Framework | Not annexed | To be developed by the Brand India Committee | Tier 1(b) |
| Brand India Committee | On paper | “Will be constituted”; no constituting order on DGFT lists | Annexure III, para 1(b) |
| National logo and usage rules | Not notified | Listed as components to develop | Tier 1(c)(ii) |
| Onboarding small firms | On paper | Ministry of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) “may onboard MSME exporters” | Para 3(d) |
| Export Promotion Councils | On paper | May “mobilise exporters for Trust Mark certification across tiers” | Para 4(a) |
| Existing quality marks | On paper | Silk Mark and Cotton Mark may be integrated; method not stated | Para 3(f) |
| Portal for exporters | Not notified | Para 7(a) portal is for proposals from eligible bodies; Trade Connect shows only a guidelines link | Para 7(a); Trade Connect |
| Later DGFT notice on the mark | None found | No trade notice, notification, public notice or circular after 14 July 2026, lists re-checked 25 October 2026 | DGFT lists |
The sector branding grant for councils and associations is explained in our Brand India Global Outreach Scheme guide. For hired firms, read what a consultancy or agency can do under the Brand India scheme. This post stays on the Trust Mark.
The Trust Mark compared with two schemes people confuse it with
Before 14 July 2026 there was no single Brand India identity (Tier 1(a)). Exporters now mix up the Trust Mark, the sector branding grant in the same notice and TRACE (Trade Regulations, Accreditation and Compliance Enablement).
| Point | Brand India Trust Mark | Sector branding grant | TRACE |
|---|
| What it is | Voluntary certification (Tier 1(d)) | Grant for branding and packaging projects (para 6(b)) | Part refund of testing, certification, audit and traceability costs (Trade Notice 26/2025-26) |
| Who it is for | Individual exporters | Government bodies, councils, Commodity Boards and associations (para 1) | MSMEs in international value chains |
| Money | None notified; fees waived two years once live (Tier 1(d)(iv)) | Up to 50%, Rs 10 crore per project (para 6(b)(ii)) | Up to 95% micro and small, 80% medium, Rs 50 lakh per IEC (Importer Exporter Code) a year (Trade Notice 09/2026-27) |
| Legal basis | Trade Notice 12/2026-27 | Trade Notice 12/2026-27 | Trade Notices 26/2025-26 and 09/2026-27 |
| Status, 19 October 2026 | Planned, not built | In force; portal address not printed | Open, with apply links on Trade Connect |
| Where you go | Nowhere yet | “Designated online portal” (para 7(a)) | Trade Connect ePlatform |
| Compulsory | No | No | No |
| Who decides | Not notified | Evaluation under para 8; Brand India Committee monitors | TRACE guidelines; above Rs 50 lakh, the Sub-Committee case by case (Trade Notice 09/2026-27) |
Who may apply for the grant is covered in Brand India scheme: who can apply, and TRACE in our DGFT TRACE scheme guide.
Rasp International handles TRACE Intent to Claim filing and certification cost reimbursement.
Talk to our team for a free assessment. 500+ exporters served since 2019.
What most people get wrong about the Trust Mark
“Immediate effect” does not mean the mark is live. Paragraph 1 says the intervention “is hereby implemented prospectively with immediate effect”. That puts the grant and the planning in force. The Trust Mark clauses say “shall”, and paragraph 5(a)(i) funds the “development of framework, guidelines, online monitoring systems” for it.
“Fees waived” does not mean a free certificate today. Tier 1(d)(iv) waives fees “for an initial period of two years”. No notice says when that period starts. Some summaries said the waiver began on 14 July 2026. The notice does not say that.
“Brand India” on a label is not the Trust Mark. Tier 1(a) says “different Brand India identities are being developed by multiple organisations and departments”. The Trust Mark is earned through an audit, so a logo file with no audit behind it does not match the notice.
Mismatches between official documents:
- The typed number in the notice PDF is blank, with “12” written in by hand on page 1. The DGFT trade notice list and the Trade Connect guidelines list both give No. 12/2026-27.
- Trade Connect calls the intervention GLOBE, a name the notice never uses.
How to check this yourself: read every DGFT trade notice subject dated after 14 July 2026, check the Trade Connect page for an apply link and save dated screenshots before you spend money.
Who should watch the Trust Mark and who can ignore it for now
- MSME and emerging exporters: Tier 1(d)(iv) says the waiver is meant to “encourage participation of MSMEs and emerging exporters”.
- First-time exporters, start-ups and export clusters, named in Annexure I, paragraph 1(c).
- Exporters in the ten sectors that Tier 2(b) lists for the first sector branding round, which include handicrafts and GI (Geographical Indication) products.
- Service exporters, since Tier 1(d)(i) covers “products and services”.
- Members of an Export Promotion Council (EPC) or Commodity Board (paragraph 4(a)).
- A shipment due this month. The notice makes adoption voluntary and does not make the mark a condition for export.
- An individual exporter wanting a grant for its own brand. Individual exporters are not eligible applicants under paragraph 1(a).
- Anyone told the mark is needed for an IEC or an RCMC (Registration cum Membership Certificate). The notice links it to neither.
- Anyone asked for a “Trust Mark fee” now. No fee or start date is notified.
Edge cases the notice does not settle
Merchant exporters. Tier 1(d)(v) speaks of “locking in quality standards at source”. A merchant exporter does not run the factory, and the notice does not say who would be audited.
Existing quality marks and GI tags. Paragraph 3(f) says line ministries may integrate marks such as Silk Mark and Cotton Mark, and Annexure IV, item 2A asks sector proposals for any “GI tag / existing quality mark”. Neither text places an existing mark in a Trust Mark tier.
What to do now, at launch and after
- Now: read the source. Tier 1(d) of Trade Notice 12/2026-27 is the main official text on the Trust Mark.
- Now: watch two official pages. Check the DGFT trade notice list and the Trade Connect page for the intervention each month.
- Now: gather quality, origin and traceability records. The notice says the mark will be audit-led and will signal these three things (Tier 1(d)(i)). No document list is notified, so this is preparation, not a requirement.
- Now: follow your council and the Ministry of MSME. Paragraphs 4(a) and 3(d) say they may bring exporters into the mark.
- Now: use TRACE for a certification your buyer already wants. Trade Notice 12/2026-27 does not say a certificate funded under TRACE will count towards any tier. See TRACE or the Uttar Pradesh marketing assistance scheme for certification costs.
- At launch: apply only where a DGFT notice says. Match the notice number on the DGFT list and use only the portal it names.
- At launch: check the fee line. Tier 1(d)(iv) waives fees for an initial two years, so any government fee then must trace to a notice.
- After: plan for audits. Tier 1(d)(iii) requires periodic audit and re-certification.
The lapse rule: none exists yet. The only time limit in Trade Notice 12/2026-27, the 30 day comment window in paragraph 5, has passed. The fast track: none exists. No one can sell you a place in a queue that has not opened.
Rasp International handles TRACE Intent to Claim filing and certification cost reimbursement.
Talk to our team for a free assessment. 500+ exporters served since 2019.
Five groups the Trust Mark will affect, and one cautionary tale
MSME manufacturers in priority sectors. The waiver targets them (Tier 1(d)(iv)). Pitfall: paying now for a scheme with no tiers or portal.
Handicraft and GI producers. Handicrafts and GI products are a Tier 2(b) sector. Pitfall: assuming a GI tag equals a Trust Mark tier.
Textile exporters with Silk Mark or Cotton Mark. Paragraph 3(f) names both marks. Pitfall: letting an existing mark lapse while waiting.
Wellness and medical tourism service exporters. Both are Tier 2(b) sectors and Tier 1(d)(i) covers services. Pitfall: expecting product audit rules to fit a service.
Export Promotion Councils and associations. They may mobilise exporters (paragraph 4(a)). Pitfall: telling members a date or fee before DGFT does.
Illustrative composite, not a real client: a small handicraft exporter gets a call offering “Brand India Trust Mark registration” in a week. He pays and receives a PDF certificate and a logo file. He prints the logo on 2,000 cartons. His overseas buyer asks for a certificate number to verify. There is no government register, because DGFT has not notified the mark. The cartons are reprinted and the payment is lost. The point of no return was printing a logo before any official usage rule existed.
How Rasp International helps
No consultant can issue, speed up or pre-book the Trust Mark, because Trade Notice 12/2026-27 makes it an audit-led certification inside a framework still being built. Once DGFT opens the Trust Mark, Rasp International can file it on your behalf in your unit’s name. We also prepare Brand India proposals for eligible bodies. When you engage us for any DGFT filing, these terms apply:
- An NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and an SLA (service level agreement) are signed with every client.
- We file on your behalf in your unit’s own name, and give an authority letter only when you ask.
- You and our team both hold the portal logins, kept safe and confidential.
Brand and packaging work that does not depend on the Trust Mark is on our export branding page.
Honest limits: three things the Trust Mark will not do
- It will not be a licence to export. Tier 1(d)(iv) of Trade Notice 12/2026-27 makes adoption voluntary.
- It will not stay free for ever. Tier 1(d)(iii) makes it fee-based, and Tier 1(d)(iv) waives fees only for an initial two years, with a provision for extension.
- It will not be a one-time award. Tier 1(d)(iii) makes it subject to periodic audit and re-certification.
What Is Not Yet Notified, Checked on 25 October 2026
The DGFT notice lists, re-checked on 25 October 2026, show no later notice on Brand India or the Trust Mark. These points stay open.
- The start date of the Trust Mark and of the two year fee waiver in Tier 1(d)(iv). Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell at epm-dgft@gov.in.
- The portal where exporters will apply. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- The fee for each tier and the fee after the waiver. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- Tier names, criteria, documents and audit frequency. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- Which body will audit and certify exporters. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- Which sectors open first and whether service and merchant exporters qualify. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- The rules for using any Brand India logo on packaging. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- Whether the Brand India Committee is constituted and the 14 July 2026 guidelines are final. Check with the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- How Silk Mark, Cotton Mark or a GI tag will be treated. Check with your Export Promotion Council and the DGFT Export Promotion Mission cell.
- How MSME exporters will be onboarded. Check with the Ministry of MSME.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Brand India Trust Mark live now?
No. DGFT Trade Notice 12/2026-27 dated 14 July 2026 describes the Trust Mark as planned and funds its development under Annexure II, paragraph 5(a)(i). As on 25 October 2026, no later DGFT trade notice, notification, public notice or policy circular gives a start date, a portal or rules to apply.
How do I apply for the Brand India Trust Mark today?
You cannot apply yet. Trade Notice 12/2026-27 names no Trust Mark portal, and the Trade Connect page for the intervention showed only a scheme guidelines link on 19 October 2026. The route will come in a new DGFT notice. Until then, any application form you are sent is not official.
How much will the Trust Mark cost after the free period?
Nobody knows yet. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, Tier 1(d)(iii) says the Trust Mark will be fee-based, and Tier 1(d)(iv) waives fees for an initial two years with a provision for extension. No fee for any tier, or for re-certification, is notified as on 25 October 2026.
Do I need the Trust Mark to keep exporting?
No. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, Tier 1(d)(iv) says adoption of the Trust Mark shall be voluntary. The notice does not make it a condition for shipping, for an IEC or for an RCMC. It matters only if you want to carry the Unified Brand India identity.
Is a Brand India certificate sold online real?
Not as the Trust Mark. As on 25 October 2026, DGFT had notified no Trust Mark tiers, auditor, portal or fee, so no one can issue the government mark. Trade Notice 14/2020-2021 dated 11 June 2020 warns about websites and emails that copy DGFT and collect money for its services.
Do I need a consultant for the Trust Mark?
Not today, because there is nothing to file. Trade Notice 12/2026-27 makes the Trust Mark an audit-led certification, so no consultant can issue or speed it up. Once DGFT opens it, we can file in your unit’s name, but the audit result rests with the certifying body.
Who will audit exporters for the Trust Mark?
No body has been named. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, paragraph 4(f) says Industry and Knowledge Partners may develop and administer the Trust Mark architecture and audit protocols. It names no partner, agency or laboratory, so treat anyone who claims to be the official Trust Mark auditor today with caution.
Can I print a Brand India logo on my cartons now?
Not as an official mark. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, Tier 1(c)(ii) lists a national logo system and brand usage guidelines as still to be developed, and Tier 1(d)(i) says exporters must earn the Trust Mark first. No usage rules are notified as on 25 October 2026.
Will my Silk Mark, Cotton Mark or GI tag count towards the Trust Mark?
It is not settled. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, paragraph 3(f) says line ministries may integrate existing certifications such as Silk Mark and Cotton Mark into the framework. It does not say how or whether they map to a Trust Mark tier. Keep existing marks current meanwhile.
Is the Trust Mark limited to the ten priority sectors?
The notice does not say. The ten sectors in Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, Tier 2(b) are for the initial rollout of sector branding campaigns. The Trust Mark clauses in Tier 1(d) name no sectors, so which sectors open first is still not notified.
Can service exporters get the Trust Mark?
The intent includes them. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, Tier 1(d)(i) says the mark will signal quality, origin and traceability for Indian products and services. Criteria, tiers and the audit method for services are not notified, so a service exporter has nothing to apply for yet.
Does the Trust Mark depend on my HS (Harmonized System) code?
Not on present text. Trade Notice 12/2026-27 does not link the Trust Mark to HS codes. HS codes appear only in Annexure IV, item 2A, where a council or association lists product categories in a sector branding proposal. Any HS code rule would need a new notice.
What should an MSME exporter do about the Trust Mark this year?
Prepare, do not pay. Keep quality, origin and traceability records in order, follow your Export Promotion Council and watch the DGFT trade notice list. Trade Notice 12/2026-27, Annexure II, paragraph 3(d) names the Ministry of MSME to onboard MSME exporters, so watch its announcements too.
Where will DGFT announce the Trust Mark start date?
Most likely on the DGFT trade notice list at dgft.gov.in, where Trade Notice 12/2026-27 itself was published, and on the Trade Connect page for the intervention. Neither showed a start date when checked, the DGFT list on 25 October 2026 and Trade Connect on 19 October 2026. A pib.gov.in release may follow.
What happens if I pay someone for a fake Trust Mark?
You lose the money and gain no official mark, because DGFT has not notified one. If the seller used a website or email that copies DGFT, Trade Notice 14/2020-2021 dated 11 June 2020 asks traders to report it to the DGFT Helpdesk at 1800-111-550 or dgftedi@nic.in.
Your checklist for this week
- Bookmark the DGFT trade notice list and the Trade Connect GLOBE page.
- Ask your Export Promotion Council in writing whether it has issued any Trust Mark circular.
- Collect quality, origin and traceability records for your main product in one folder.
- Refuse any offer of a Trust Mark or Brand India certificate, and report DGFT lookalike sites to the DGFT Helpdesk.
Sources
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 12/2026-27 dated 14 July 2026, Global Outreach for Branding, Labelling and Export Packaging under EPM, Niryat Disha, Annexures I to V (typed number blank, “12” written in by hand on page 1): content.dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. DGFT trade notice list, checked 25 October 2026, latest No. 31/2026-27 dated 21 October 2026: dgft.gov.in. DGFT lists of notifications, public notices and policy circulars, also checked 25 October 2026.
- Tier 1. DGFT Export Promotion Mission page: dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. Trade Connect ePlatform, GLOBE page and EPM scheme guidelines list, seen 19 October 2026: GLOBE page, scheme guidelines.
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 26/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, TRACE guidelines: content.dgft.gov.in. Trade Notice No. 09/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026, TRACE amendments: content.dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 14/2020-2021 dated 11 June 2020, advisory on fake websites, emails and persons: content.dgft.gov.in. DGFT website caution on spurious websites: dgft.gov.in.
This is general guidance. Rules change. Check the current notification or order, or speak to us, before you act.
Related: Export Promotion Mission: every scheme and trade notice | Brand India scheme: who can apply | How we work as a consultant, not an agent
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