Last Updated: October 25, 2026 by Pratham Agarwal, Rasp International
Rasp International | ISO 9001:2015 Certified Export Advisory
EPCH Registration and RCMC for Handicraft Exporters
Join the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and get your e-RCMC on the DGFT portal. See who needs it, the documents and steps, the fair support it opens up and the inputs handicraft makers can still import duty free.
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) was set up in 1986-87 as a non-profit company to promote Indian handicraft exports. It works with the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) under the Ministry of Textiles, had about 8,700 member exporters on 31 March 2025 and is listed by DGFT as the registering authority for handicrafts. When handicrafts are your main line of export, EPCH membership is the route to your Registration cum Membership Certificate (RCMC).
Rasp International handles EPCH registration end to end for handicraft makers and merchant exporters in Moradabad, Agra, Firozabad, Saharanpur, Jodhpur, Jaipur and other craft clusters. We check that EPCH is the right council for your products, file the e-RCMC on the DGFT portal in your firm’s name, answer council queries and keep the membership alive for the benefits that depend on it.
5 years
Validity of an RCMC, counted from 1 April of the year it is issued
Rs 3 lakh
Export consignments up to this FOB value no longer need an RCMC
18 items
Inputs handicraft exporters can import at nil basic customs duty under List 9
500+
Exporters served by the Rasp International team since 2019
Checked on 25 October 2026 against Foreign Trade Policy 2023 para 2.57, Handbook of Procedures 2023 paras 2.77 to 2.84, DGFT Notification 36/2026-27, DGFT Trade Notice 19/2024-25 and Customs Notification 45/2025-Customs.
The Short Answer: When Handicraft Exporters Need EPCH
You need an EPCH Registration cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) when handicrafts are your main line of export and you want an authorisation or any other benefit under the Foreign Trade Policy, such as Advance Authorisation, EPCG or Market Access Initiative support. Para 2.57 of FTP 2023 asks for the RCMC, and the Handbook says it must come from the council that covers the product of your main line of business.
The rule that decides everything: the council follows your main product, not your location or your size. A firm that mainly exports brass decor, wooden furniture or hand printed home textiles registers with EPCH. FIEO is only for products no council covers, or for multi-product exporters whose main line is not settled yet (HBP 2023 para 2.80).
You need an EPCH RCMC for
Import or export authorisations under the FTP, such as Advance Authorisation and EPCG (except restricted items), any other benefit or concession under the FTP and EPCH member services such as its fairs and buyer meets.
You do not need one for
RoDTEP and RoSCTL claims (DGFT Trade Notice 19/2024-25), a single export consignment with an FOB value up to Rs 3,00,000 (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27) or simply shipping freely exportable goods with your IEC.
| EPCH at a glance | Details |
|---|
| Full name | Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), a not-for-profit company set up in 1986-87 |
| Works with | Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles |
| Head office | EPCH House, Pocket 6 and 7, Sector C, LSC, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070 |
| Regional offices | Moradabad, Saharanpur, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Guwahati, Narsapur and Patna |
| Members | About 8,700 member exporters on 31 March 2025 |
| Membership | Associate (open to new exporters with an IEC) and Ordinary |
| RCMC issued as | Merchant, manufacturer or merchant cum manufacturer exporter |
| Certificate | e-RCMC issued on the DGFT portal in the Appendix 2R format |
| Validity | Five years, from 1 April of the year of issue to 31 March, while the annual fee is paid (HBP 2023 para 2.81) |
| Annual fee | Due on 1 April and payable by 30 June each year |
| Flagship fair | IHGF Delhi Fair, twice a year at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida |
| Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh | Handicraft exporters from these UTs get their RCMC from the Director, Handicrafts, Government of Jammu and Kashmir (HBP 2023 para 2.80(d)) |
How We Help
EPCH Services for Handicraft Exporters
From the first application to renewals and fair season, this is the work we take off your desk:
New RCMC
We confirm EPCH is the right council for your products, bring your IEC profile up to date, prepare the documents and file the e-RCMC application in your firm’s name.
Category
Registering as a manufacturer exporter needs evidence of manufacturing. We help you pick the right category and back it with Udyam or factory papers.
Fairs
Help with fair applications, stall paperwork and the support schemes for fairs, including the state trade fair subsidy for eligible fairs if you export from Uttar Pradesh.
Duty-Free Inputs
Set up imports of List 9 inputs such as furniture fittings, lacquers and clock movements under the IGCR rules, and keep the end-use records Customs expects.
Incentives
Claim RoDTEP on your shipping bills and check the rate and cap for each HS code. RoDTEP does not need an RCMC, so this can start before your membership is through.
Renewal
Renew an expired RCMC, add products and report changes in name, address or constitution within the one month the Handbook allows. UP exporters also need the state Bureau and Council registrations for state subsidies.
Products EPCH Covers and What Goes Elsewhere
DGFT lists EPCH in Appendix 2T (S.No. 9) as the registering authority for handicraft items in the groups below. The clusters named are where much of this work comes from, but your main product, not your city, decides the council.
Art metal ware
Brass, copper, iron and aluminium decor, lamps, lanterns, candle stands and garden accessories. Moradabad is the best known cluster.
Wood ware
Carved and turned wood, boxes, trays, kitchen and table ware and wooden decor from centres such as Saharanpur, Jodhpur and Channapatna.
Handcrafted textiles
Hand printed textiles and scarves, embroidered and crocheted goods, shawls as artware and lace goods, with Jaipur, Sanganer, Bagru and Lucknow known for this work.
Stone artware
Marble inlay, soapstone and carved stone pieces, with Agra known for its inlay work. Granite and natural stone register with CAPEXIL instead.
Artistic handmade jewellery
Handmade artistic jewellery is an EPCH product. Costume and fashion jewellery is listed under the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).
Other crafts
Jute handicrafts, papier mache, agarbattis, attars and miscellaneous handicrafts such as photo frames and horn, bone and shell work.
Four products that are often filed under EPCH by mistake:
| Product | Council for the RCMC |
|---|
| Hand knotted and handmade carpets, rugs and floor coverings | Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) |
| Costume and fashion jewellery | Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) |
| Glass and glassware | CAPEXIL |
| Granite and natural stone | CAPEXIL |
What EPCH Membership Opens Up
Beyond the RCMC, membership connects handicraft exporters to the council’s fairs, standards and facilities:
IHGF Delhi Fair
EPCH’s flagship fair, held twice a year in spring and autumn at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida, since 1994. It is one of Asia’s largest sourcing fairs for handicrafts, gifts, home and lifestyle products.
Fairs and buyer meets
EPCH also runs other fairs and buyer-seller meets in India and abroad. Members hear about them first and can apply for space through the council.
VRIKSH timber legality
EPCH’s VRIKSH standard checks the legality and legal origin of the wood in wooden products, with audits by EPCH or its authorised certification body. It helps when buyers ask for proof of legal timber.
Testing and design support
The Handicrafts Productivity Centre in Jaipur has a testing lab for home textiles, fashion jewellery and wooden crafts, and its Wood Test Lab is NABL accredited for furniture testing. Common facility centres for photo framing run at Saharanpur and Jodhpur.
Duty-Free Inputs for Handicraft Makers: What Applies Now
Many guides still describe a scheme that let handicraft exporters import trimmings and embellishments duty free up to 5% of the previous year’s FOB exports. That scheme ended on 31 March 2021, as EPCH noted in its Budget press release of 1 February 2021. Do not plan your costs around it.
What applies now is an end-use exemption in Customs Notification 45/2025-Customs (Table I, S.No. 141), which replaced the old Notification 50/2017-Customs from 1 November 2025. Bona fide exporters can import the goods in List 9 at nil basic customs duty when they use them to make handicraft items for export.
What you can import
18 listed inputs, including photo frame backs and fittings, motifs, decorative paper for lamp shades, brass and metal furniture fittings, cutlery handles and blades, lacquers and wood polish, sea shell, mother of pearl, horn and bone, clock movements, adhesives, natural essential oils and resins.
Conditions
Follow the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty or for Specified End Use) Rules, 2022 and export the finished handicrafts within twelve months of import. The jurisdictional Commissioner can extend this by up to three months. Only basic customs duty is waived; IGST is still paid at import.
How long it runs
The Union Budget 2026-27 extended this entry to 31 March 2028. Nine of the 18 items were added in the Union Budget 2025-26. The entry does not cap imports at a share of FOB and does not ask for an EPCH certificate.
How to Apply for EPCH RCMC, Stage by Stage
The whole process runs online on the DGFT portal. These are the stages and what to get right at each one:
1
Stage 1: Confirm EPCH Covers Your Main Product
List the HS codes you export and check that your main line falls under EPCH. If your main product is carpets, costume jewellery or glassware, a different council is the right one. Getting this wrong means applying again later.
2
Stage 2: Bring Your IEC Profile Up to Date
The RCMC application pulls your firm details, branches and the last three years of export figures from your IEC profile. Update the IEC first so that PAN, GST, address and bank details match. See our IEC guide if your code needs its annual update.
3
Stage 3: Apply Under Services, e-RCMC on the DGFT Portal
Choose EPCH as the council, declare your main line of business, pick merchant, manufacturer or merchant cum manufacturer exporter, add your products by ITC (HS) code and select the number of years of membership. If no category is chosen, EPCH issues the RCMC as merchant exporter.
4
Stage 4: Upload Documents and Pay the EPCH Fee Online
Upload the documents listed below. The membership fee is set by EPCH, not DGFT, and the application shows it with GST before you pay. There is no separate fee for the RCMC itself.
5
Stage 5: Council Scrutiny and Issue of the e-RCMC
EPCH checks the file and may raise a query on the portal. Once approved, the e-RCMC is issued in the Appendix 2R format and shows up against your IEC. It stays valid for five years, and the portal allows renewal once it has expired.
Documents for EPCH Registration
Keep these ready before you start. EPCH can ask for more, and the upload list shown for your application on the portal is the final word.
| Document | Who needs it | What to check |
|---|
| Importer Exporter Code (IEC) | Every applicant | Active and updated for the year, with the right branches |
| PAN and GST registration | Every applicant | Name and address match the IEC profile |
| Partnership deed, LLP agreement or MoA and AoA | Firms, LLPs and companies | Current partners or directors and the authorised signatory |
| Udyam registration or factory licence | Manufacturer exporters | Shows handicraft manufacturing; EPCH asks for a self-declaration that the Udyam NIC code covers your products |
| Signed code of conduct | Every applicant | EPCH format on stamp paper, signed and stamped |
| Bank account proof | Every applicant | Cancelled cheque or bank letter in the firm’s name |
| Export figures for the last three years | Existing exporters | Taken from the IEC profile; keep a CA certificate ready if EPCH asks |
Associate and Ordinary Membership
EPCH has two classes of members under the Articles of Association adopted at its general meeting of 30 October 2025. Most new exporters start as associate members.
| Point | Associate member | Ordinary member |
|---|
| Who can join | Anyone with an IEC for handicraft exports, including exporters with no export record yet | An associate member of at least two years with average annual handicraft exports of at least Rs 10 lakh in the two preceding financial years |
| Right to vote | After three continuous years, with average annual exports of Rs 2.5 lakh in the preceding three financial years | Yes |
| Standing for council elections | Not eligible | Eligible with average annual exports of at least Rs 15 lakh in the two preceding financial years |
| RCMC | Issued with membership | Issued with membership |
| Annual subscription | Due on 1 April, payable by 30 June | Due on 1 April, payable by 30 June |
The export thresholds in the Articles rise by 10% every five years.
Where EPCH Applications Go Wrong
Most delays come from a few avoidable gaps:
| Problem | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|
| Wrong council for the main product | The RCMC does not match your main line, so FTP applications can be questioned | Map your HS codes to EPCH’s product list before applying |
| IEC profile out of date | Details in the application do not match and the council raises a query | Finish the IEC update first, then apply |
| Manufacturer category without proof | The council asks for evidence or registers you as a merchant exporter | Attach Udyam or factory papers that name the craft activity |
| Changes not reported | The Handbook requires changes in ownership, constitution, name or address to be told to the council within one month | Report every change on time; the council can condone delay only on merits |
| RCMC allowed to lapse | Benefits that need an RCMC stop until it is renewed | Track the 31 March expiry and renew once the portal allows it |
Get your EPCH RCMC filed or renewed
New EPCH registration, renewal, a category change or a council query. Tell us the situation and we will get back to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EPCH registration mandatory for exporting handicrafts?
Not for every shipment. You can export freely exportable handicrafts with an IEC alone. An RCMC from EPCH becomes necessary when handicrafts are your main line and you apply for an authorisation or any other benefit under the Foreign Trade Policy. RoDTEP and RoSCTL claims do not need it, and since DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 a consignment with an FOB value up to Rs 3,00,000 does not need it either.
Can a merchant exporter without a factory register with EPCH?
Yes. The e-RCMC application lets you register as a merchant exporter. To register as a manufacturer exporter you must furnish evidence of manufacturing, such as Udyam registration or a factory licence (HBP 2023 para 2.79).
How long is an EPCH RCMC valid?
Five years. It is treated as valid from 1 April of the licensing year in which it is issued and runs to 31 March at the end of the fifth year (HBP 2023 para 2.81).
How do I renew an EPCH RCMC?
Through Services, e-RCMC, Renewal of RCMC on the DGFT portal. The portal opens renewal only for a certificate that has expired. Separately, the EPCH membership fee falls due on 1 April every year and must be paid by 30 June. EPCH has no late fee provision: if the fee is not paid, the membership ceases and a fresh membership is needed, and the RCMC stays valid only while the annual fee is paid. To renew the RCMC itself, EPCH asks for the original certificate and, for manufacturer exporters, a valid Udyam registration with a self-declaration that its NIC code covers your handicraft products.
Do I need an RCMC to claim RoDTEP on handicraft exports?
No. DGFT Trade Notice 19/2024-25 dated 4 October 2024 clarifies that post-export remission schemes such as RoDTEP and RoSCTL do not need an RCMC. See our RoDTEP guide for rates and caps.
Can handicraft exporters still import inputs duty free?
Yes, but not under the old 5% of FOB scheme, which ended on 31 March 2021. Today bona fide exporters can import the 18 inputs in List 9 of Customs Notification 45/2025-Customs at nil basic customs duty, following the IGCR rules and exporting the finished goods within twelve months. The entry runs to 31 March 2028.
What is the IHGF Delhi Fair?
The Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) Delhi Fair is EPCH’s flagship trade fair, held twice a year in spring and autumn at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida. It has run since 1994 and is one of Asia’s largest sourcing fairs for handicrafts, gifts, home and lifestyle products. Exporters from Uttar Pradesh should check whether a fair qualifies for the UP trade fair subsidy before booking space.
Are carpets and fashion jewellery registered with EPCH?
No. Hand knotted and handmade carpets, rugs and other floor coverings take their RCMC from the Carpet Export Promotion Council, and costume or fashion jewellery is listed under GJEPC. EPCH covers artistic handmade jewellery. If you export across these lines, the council of your main line of business issues your RCMC.
Which council issues RCMC to handicraft exporters from Jammu and Kashmir?
For handicraft and handloom exporters from the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Director, Handicrafts, Government of Jammu and Kashmir is authorised to issue the RCMC (HBP 2023 para 2.80(d)).
How does Rasp International help with EPCH registration?
We check that EPCH is the right council, update your IEC, prepare the documents, file the e-RCMC in your firm’s name and handle council queries until the certificate is issued. After that we help with renewals, profile changes, fair support and the incentives that depend on the RCMC. If you prefer to file yourself, we can guide you through it.
Work With Rasp International on Your EPCH Registration
Rasp International is an ISO 9001:2015 certified export advisory firm at A-39, New Agra Colony, Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Since 2019 the team has served 500+ exporters on council registrations, DGFT filings and export incentives.
Get Your EPCH RCMC Right the First Time
New registration, renewal, a category change or a council query: our DGFT team prepares the file, applies in your firm’s name and follows it up with EPCH.
Statutory Sources and References
- Foreign Trade Policy 2023, Chapter 2, para 2.57 (Registration cum Membership Certificate), Directorate General of Foreign Trade
- Handbook of Procedures 2023, Chapter 2, paras 2.77 to 2.84 and Appendix 2T (registering authorities), DGFT
- DGFT Notification No. 36/2026-27 dated 15 September 2026 (no RCMC for consignments up to Rs 3,00,000 FOB)
- DGFT Trade Notice No. 19/2024-25 dated 4 October 2024 (RCMC not required for RoDTEP and RoSCTL)
- Customs Notification No. 45/2025-Customs dated 24 October 2025, Table I S.No. 141 and List 9 (in force from 1 November 2025, replacing Notification 50/2017-Customs), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
- Union Budget 2026-27, explanatory note on customs changes (S.No. 141 extended to 31 March 2028), Ministry of Finance
- EPCH press release on the Union Budget 2025-26 (nine items added for duty-free import) and on the Union Budget 2021-22 (old scheme withdrawn from 31 March 2021)
- EPCH membership and renewal FAQs and membership registration page, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts
- EPCH Articles of Association placed before the EGM of 30 October 2025 (Articles 3 and 4, membership classes) and EPCH Annual Report 2024-25 (members on 31 March 2025)
- IHGF Delhi Fair and VRIKSH timber legality standard
Rules, fees and product lists change. We check each case against the current notification and EPCH’s own rules before filing.
Related guides: RCMC registration across all councils, IEC registration, Moradabad export consultant, Jodhpur export consultant, UP trade fair subsidy, Advance Authorisation and export incentives.