How to Start Exporting from India in 2025: A Complete Beginner Guide

Every year, thousands of Indian businesses get their first inquiry from an international buyer and freeze. They do not know where to start, who to trust, or what will go wrong. This guide gives you the exact sequence so you move forward instead of stalling.

Step 1: Get Your IEC Code First

Nothing else matters until you have an Importer Exporter Code. It takes 2 to 3 working days, costs Rs 500 as government fee, and is done entirely online on the DGFT portal. You need your PAN, a cancelled cheque from your current account, and a digital signature. Do not export without it because your bank cannot receive foreign payment without linking it to an IEC.

Step 2: Register Under GST and File Your LUT

Exports are zero-rated under GST which means you do not pay IGST on export goods. But to use this benefit, you need to file a Letter of Undertaking (LUT) on the GST portal every financial year. Without LUT, you pay IGST upfront and wait months for a refund. LUT takes 30 minutes to file and is valid for the entire financial year.

Step 3: Get Your RCMC

Registration Cum Membership Certificate from the relevant Export Promotion Council is what makes you eligible for RoDTEP at enhanced rates, SEIS benefits, and participation in government-funded trade delegations. Find your product category, identify the right EPC, and apply. Rasp International handles this for exporters across all major product categories.

Step 4: Register Your AD Code at Your Port

AD Code registration links your bank branch to the customs port or ICD you will export from. Without it, you cannot file a shipping bill. This is one of the most overlooked steps that holds up first shipments. Do it before you book your container.

Step 5: Classify Your Product Correctly

Every export product has an HS code that determines your customs duty rate, which incentive scheme you qualify for, and what the buyer country charges on import. Getting this wrong costs money and creates compliance problems. Verify your HS code with a professional before your first shipment.

Step 6: Prepare Your Export Documents

The standard document set includes Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Shipping Bill filed on ICEGATE by your CHA, Bill of Lading or Airway Bill, and Certificate of Origin if your buyer country requires it. Some products need additional certificates. Spices need FSSAI. Food going to the US needs FDA Prior Notice. Get your document checklist before the shipment date, not after.

Step 7: Find Your Buyer

Exporters often get this order backwards and spend months trying to find buyers before their paperwork is ready. Get your registrations done first. Then approach buyers via IndiaMART, Alibaba, and TradeIndia, attend Export Promotion Council events, and list on the DGFT Trade Facilitation portal. Being registration-ready means you can respond to buyer inquiries within days instead of months.

Rasp International helps first-time exporters complete this entire setup within 4 to 6 weeks. If you want someone to handle it while you focus on your product and buyers, write to us at [email protected].