An export website should let an overseas buyer understand your range and send an enquiryVerified as on 4 October 2026 against Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025. Written by Pratham Agarwal, Founder, Rasp International.
Export website for exporters: the short answer
An export website is a site built for foreign buyers: clear product pages, specifications, packing, a catalogue and an enquiry path that a buyer in another country can use without a phone call. Rasp International builds export websites and, for Uttar Pradesh MSME exporters, prepares the claim under the UP Marketing Development Assistance order, GO 811. That order pays back 75 percent of actual spending on website development and other publicity, up to Rs 1 lakh, to an MSME exporter registered with the Export Promotion Bureau, Uttar Pradesh and UPEPC.
The rule that decides everything: register with the Bureau and UPEPC first, then raise the website invoice in the exporter’s name, then claim within 120 days of the invoice or website development date.
Key facts table: export website and UP MDA support
| Item | What GO 811 says |
|---|
| Order | Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, financial assistance for marketing development at international level |
| Head that covers websites | Row 7: advertisement in foreign journals, magazines and newspapers, catalogue printing, website development, digital cataloguing, digital content development, digital marketing and social media advertising |
| Assistance | 75 percent of actual spending, up to Rs 1 lakh |
| Year cap across all MDA heads | Rs 25 lakh per exporter unit per financial year |
| Who can claim | MSME exporter units of Uttar Pradesh registered with the Export Promotion Bureau along with UPEPC at the time of the work |
| Claim window for publicity | 120 days from the catalogue printing invoice date or the website development date |
| First check | Deputy Commissioner Industries of the district, 21 days |
| Decision | Authorised Committee chaired by the Export Commissioner, Export Promotion Bureau |
Who this service is for
This service is for a manufacturer or merchant exporter who needs a site a foreign buyer can actually use. It fits a carpet unit in Bhadohi, a leather unit in Kanpur or Agra, a glass or brassware maker in Firozabad or Moradabad, a food processor, an engineering supplier or a first time exporter whose only online presence today is a WhatsApp catalogue. It also fits a unit with a domestic brochure site that now needs proper export pages.
It is not a substitute for an IEC, GST registration, an AD code or the Bureau and UPEPC registrations. It is also not the e-commerce onboarding scheme. Fees paid to an international marketplace are a separate head under GO 874, which pays 75 percent of first year onboarding fees on one platform up to Rs 3 lakh. A marketplace invoice is not a website invoice.
What GO 811 says about websites
GO 811 is the UP order for marketing development assistance under the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30. It cancels the earlier orders on this subject and sets out nine heads of assistance in a table in paragraph 3. Row 7 is the publicity head. It covers:
- advertisement in foreign journals, magazines and newspapers
- catalogue printing
- website development
- digital cataloguing
- digital content development
- digital marketing
- social media advertising
Against that row the order allows financial assistance of 75 percent of the actual spending by the exporter unit, up to Rs 1 lakh. Paragraph 4 then caps total assistance across all heads at Rs 25 lakh per exporter unit in a financial year.
The rest of the GO 811 table, for context
A website claim sits next to other heads in the same order. Keep them separate on paper.
| Head in GO 811 | Assistance |
|---|
| Foreign fair or buyer seller meet, stall | 75 percent of stall rent, up to Rs 3.25 lakh |
| Foreign fair, economy airfare for one person | 75 percent, up to Rs 1.25 lakh, and not more than the exporter’s share of stall rent |
| International virtual fair or buyer seller meet | 75 percent, up to Rs 25,000 per fair |
| Domestic fair of international level, stall | 75 percent of stall rent, up to Rs 75,000 |
| Domestic fair, economy bus, rail or air travel for one person | 75 percent, up to Rs 30,000 |
| Publicity, including website development | 75 percent, up to Rs 1 lakh |
| Free trade samples to foreign buyers | 75 percent, up to Rs 2 lakh a year |
| Export related certification | 75 percent, within the Rs 25 lakh overall cap |
Our UP export subsidy schemes hub covers every UP order. A full guide to GO 811 is being prepared.
Plan the enquiry flow and buyer checks before a single page is designedRegister first, build second
Paragraphs 2 and 10 of GO 811 give the assistance to MSME exporter units of Uttar Pradesh that are registered with the Export Promotion Bureau along with UPEPC at the time of the work. For a website, the work is the website development itself. A site built before the registrations exist is the claim most likely to be questioned.
So we work in this order:
- Confirm the unit is an MSME of Uttar Pradesh with a live IEC, GST registration and Udyam registration.
- Confirm the Bureau and UPEPC registrations, or help the unit complete them first. See our guide to Export Promotion Bureau and UPEPC registration.
- Agree the scope and issue the quotation.
- Raise the invoice in the exporter unit’s name, dated after the registrations. Payment comes from the unit’s own bank account.
- Build the site against the quotation, without unrelated items such as logo redesign or marketplace fees.
- Hand over the live site, the admin login, the catalogue file and the claim papers.
- File the claim within 120 days of the invoice or website development date.
If a unit has already paid another vendor, we can review the claim papers. We do not backdate invoices and we do not certify work we did not do.
Product range, specifications and an enquiry form on one clear siteWhat we build
An export site is an export desk, not a domestic brochure with a contact form.
- Identity. Legal name, IEC holder, factory or office address in Uttar Pradesh, year of start and the markets already served. Real photographs of the unit and its goods, not borrowed images.
- Catalogue. One page per product family with material, size, colour, packing, minimum order and the price basis. HS headings are shown only as a reference.
- Buyer path. An enquiry form that asks for company, country, product, quantity and the delivery terms the buyer wants, sent to a named person.
- Trust pages. A short process note, inspection or test references the unit actually holds and a packing page. Certification logos only for certificates the unit holds.
- Language. English as the buyer language. A second buyer language is quoted separately and is worth it only if that market is real.
- Technical. Mobile layout, editable catalogue, SSL, a domain in the exporter’s name and a backup of the content.
- A downloadable catalogue. Buyers forward files, not logins. The PDF uses the same product names as the site.
Not in the base build: marketplace onboarding, paid ads, an outside photoshoot, full catalogue translation and IEC or GST registration. Ads and digital content fall under the same Rs 1 lakh publicity head, which is a reason not to spend the whole head on the site if you also plan printed catalogues or social media ads this year.
How the 75 percent claim works
GO 811 is a reimbursement. The exporter pays the full invoice first. The Bureau’s committee decides the claim later, first come, first served, within the year’s budget, and pays by Direct Benefit Transfer.
Worked examples in rupees
These are illustrations of the GO 811 rule, not quotations and not a promise of payment.
| Website spending, excluding GST | 75 percent | Head cap | Most you can claim |
|---|
| Rs 50,000 | Rs 37,500 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 37,500 |
| Rs 90,000 | Rs 67,500 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 67,500 |
| Rs 1,60,000 | Rs 1,20,000 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 1,00,000 |
The examples use spending before GST because the order does not say whether GST is part of the actual spending. Show taxable value and tax separately on the invoice, and do not assume tax will be reimbursed.
The publicity head is shared
Website development, catalogue printing, foreign advertisements, digital content, digital marketing and social media ads all sit in the same row. If a unit spends Rs 60,000 on a website and Rs 80,000 on a printed catalogue in the same period, 75 percent of the total is Rs 1,05,000, but the row allows Rs 1 lakh. Plan the year’s publicity spending together before either invoice is raised.
The claim window and route
Paragraph 5(1) of GO 811 says the exporter unit must file the claim online within a maximum of 120 days from the date of the work. For the publicity head, the 120 days are counted from the date of the catalogue printing invoice or the website development date. If the invoice is dated 15 October 2026, day 120 is 12 February 2027. File as soon as the site is live.
GO 811 uses the district route:
- You file online with all records. For 15 days from the application date you can correct mistakes yourself.
- The claim then appears on the portal of the District Industries Promotion and Entrepreneurship Development Centre. The Deputy Commissioner Industries examines it within 21 days and forwards complete claims to the Export Promotion Bureau.
- If the claim is incomplete, the gaps are recorded and you have 15 days to upload the missing records, or the claim lapses on its own. A completed claim is examined again within 21 days.
- If the district does not act within 21 days, the claim goes to the Bureau automatically.
- The Bureau receives forwarded claims within 15 days and places them before the Authorised Committee, which decides them first come, first served within the budget.
What the claim file contains
| Paper | Why it is in the file |
|---|
| Bureau and UPEPC registration certificates | Registration at the time of the work is a condition |
| Udyam registration | The order is for MSME units |
| IEC and GST registration | Identifies the exporter on the invoice |
| Quotation and invoice in the unit’s name | Shows the spending was website development, dated after registration |
| Bank proof of payment from the unit’s account | The order reimburses actual spending by the unit |
| Live URL and dated screenshots | Shows the deliverable exists |
| Domain record in the unit’s name | Shows the asset belongs to the unit |
| Note of what was built | Maps the work to website development and, if used, digital cataloguing |
| Declaration of no other benefit | Paragraph 8 bars a second benefit for the same purpose |
The authorised person of the unit signs the claim. We prepare and check it, but we do not sign as the applicant.
What can make the claim fail
- The unit was not registered with the Bureau and UPEPC when the work was done.
- The unit is not an MSME.
- The invoice is in a director’s or partner’s personal name, or payment left a personal account.
- The claim is filed more than 120 days after the invoice or website development date.
- The site is a one page placeholder with nothing a buyer can specify.
- The same invoice is also claimed under another state or central scheme.
- Other publicity spending in the year has already used up the Rs 1 lakh row.
- The invoice description is too vague, such as branding or retainer, with no website deliverable.
The catalogue has to work on a buyer’s phone as well as a desktopWhat a buyer should be able to do in one visit
A foreign buyer checks four things: whether the unit is real, whether the product can be specified, whether there is a price basis and who will answer. The home page names the product, the district of origin and the IEC holder. The catalogue uses the unit’s own goods. A carpet page states knot density, size range and backing. A glass or metal page states material, finish and packing. A food page states shelf life and the certificates actually held.
The enquiry form asks for product, quantity, destination port and delivery terms rather than a vague “get in touch”. Those enquiries are also the unit’s evidence that the site is in commercial use.
Page list for a buyer ready build
- Home, with origin and product
- Company, with legal name, IEC holder, address and year of start
- Catalogue index and product pages
- Packing and delivery terms
- Process, limited to what the unit actually does
- Enquiry and contact, with a named person
- Privacy note for the enquiry form
Cash position before the claim is paid
Treat the invoice as spent. A Rs 60,000 site plus 18 percent GST is Rs 70,800 out of the current account. If the claim is admitted on the taxable value, the later credit is Rs 45,000. If it is not admitted, the credit is nil and the site still belongs to the unit. That is why we never describe a website as free after subsidy.
After handover
The unit receives the admin login, the page list, the catalogue file and a short note of what was built. A new product family, a second language or a redesign later is a fresh job, and also a fresh claim question, because the publicity row is shared and capped. Hosting and domain renewals in later years should not be assumed to qualify.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether GST on the website invoice counts as actual spending under GO 811.
- Whether the Rs 1 lakh publicity cap runs per financial year, as the overall Rs 25 lakh cap does.
- Which document the portal treats as the website development date when the invoice and the go live date differ.
- The web address of the claim portal, which the order does not print.
Frequently asked questions
Can a UP exporter claim the cost of an export website?
Yes, under row 7 of GO 811. It pays 75 percent of actual spending on website development and other publicity, up to Rs 1 lakh, to an MSME exporter registered with the Export Promotion Bureau and UPEPC.
Is the 75 percent a discount on the invoice?
No. It is a reimbursement. The exporter pays the full invoice first and claims later. Payment depends on the committee’s approval and the budget.
Should I build the website first and register later?
No. GO 811 requires the Bureau and UPEPC registrations at the time of the work. Register first and date the invoice after that.
What is the time limit for the website claim?
120 days from the website development date or the catalogue printing invoice date, under paragraph 5(1) of GO 811.
What else shares the Rs 1 lakh publicity limit?
Foreign advertisements, catalogue printing, digital cataloguing, digital content, digital marketing and social media advertising all sit in the same row as website development.
What is the overall yearly limit under GO 811?
Rs 25 lakh per exporter unit in a financial year across all heads of GO 811 put together.
Are marketplace fees covered under the website head?
No. International marketplace onboarding fees fall under GO 874, which pays 75 percent of first year fees on one platform up to Rs 3 lakh.
Do I need both Bureau and UPEPC registration?
Yes. GO 811 speaks of registration with the Export Promotion Bureau along with UPEPC, and the claim needs both.
Who checks the website claim first?
The Deputy Commissioner Industries of your district, who has 21 days to examine it and forward it to the Export Promotion Bureau.
Can a merchant exporter claim for a website?
GO 811 speaks of MSME exporter units of Uttar Pradesh. A merchant unit that is an MSME and holds both registrations fits that wording. Ask the Bureau if your unit’s status is unusual.
Is GST on the website invoice reimbursed?
The order does not say. Show tax separately on the invoice and plan as if only the taxable value is counted.
Can the same website invoice be claimed under another scheme?
No. Paragraph 8 of GO 811 allows assistance only if the unit has not taken a full or partial benefit of the same nature from any other central or state scheme for the same purpose.
Are hosting renewals covered every year?
Do not assume so. The row speaks of website development. Renewals in later years are a running cost, not development.
Does Rasp International promise the reimbursement?
No. We build the site and prepare the claim papers. The Bureau’s Authorised Committee decides the claim and its timing.
What does a buyer ready export site include?
Product pages with specifications and packing, a downloadable catalogue, delivery terms, a clear company page and an enquiry form that captures product, quantity and destination, all on a domain in the exporter’s name.
How Rasp International helps
Rasp International is an ISO 9001:2015 certified EXIM and DGFT consultancy based in Agra, with a family legacy in international trade since 2005 and more than 500 exporters served. We build export websites for manufacturers and merchants, and for Uttar Pradesh MSME units we prepare the GO 811 publicity claim, starting with the Bureau and UPEPC registration check. Fees are quoted in writing after we see the scope. Approval and payment of the claim rest with the Bureau’s committee, so we do not promise them.
Need an export website that buyers can use? Message Rasp International on WhatsApp with your IEC and district for a scope and quotation.
Sources
- Government Order No. 811/18-4-2025 dated 6 November 2025, financial assistance for marketing development of the state’s exporters at international level, paragraphs 2 to 13 and the table in paragraph 3, row 7.
- Government Order No. 874/18-4-2025 dated 3 December 2025, e-commerce onboarding assistance scheme.
- Government Order No. 684/18-4-2025/18-4099/31/2025 dated 3 September 2025, UP Export Promotion Policy 2025-30.
- The orders are in Hindi. Official copies: upepc.org.
This is general guidance. Rules change. Verify against the current order or the current portal screen before you file or pay.
Related: Export website development service | UP export subsidy schemes 2025-30 | Export Promotion Bureau and UPEPC registration | E-commerce export setup | Buyer research | UP MDA scheme for fairs, samples and websites