Last Updated: October 27, 2026 by Pratham Agarwal, Rasp International
The short answer
INSIGHT (Integrated Support for Trade Intelligence and Facilitation) is a Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) grant under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), Niryat Disha, that funds institutions, not individual exporters. Under Trade Notice 27/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, an eligible body may get up to 50 percent of the approved project cost, capped at Rs 15 lakh for modules and toolkits, Rs 25 lakh for training or research and Rs 50 lakh for district facilitation, subject to approval.
The rule that decides everything: the applicant must be one of the seven types of body in Annexure II paragraph 2(a) of Trade Notice 27/2025-26. Exporters gain only from what such bodies deliver.
Verified as on 27 October 2026 against DGFT Trade Notice No. 27/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026 (INSIGHT), Trade Notices No. 19/2025-26 dated 31 December 2025 and No. 08/2026-27 dated 1 July 2026 (Market Access Support), Trade Notice No. 28/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026 (Facilitating Logistics, Overseas Warehousing and Fulfilment, FLOW), the DGFT INSIGHT web page and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) backgrounder of 24 February 2026. Written by Pratham Agarwal, Founder, Rasp International.
Rs 15 lakh
modules and toolkits at up to 50 percent, Trade Notice 27/2025-26 Annexure II para 4(c)
Rs 25 lakh
training or research at up to 50 percent, Annexure II paras 4(d) and 5(c)
Rs 50 lakh
district or cluster export facilitation at up to 50 percent, Annexure II para 6(d)
Up to 100%
for government bodies and, on district work, district and state export committees, paras 4(e), 5(d) and 6(d)
| Scheme | Integrated Support for Trade Intelligence and Facilitation (INSIGHT) |
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| Part of | Niryat Disha, the non-financial arm of the EPM |
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| Run by | EPM Section, DGFT headquarters |
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| Legal basis | DGFT Trade Notice No. 27/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, on a pilot basis |
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| Who it is for | Export support institutions listed in Annexure II paragraph 2(a) |
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| What you get | A project grant for training, research, district facilitation and trade intelligence |
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| Cap | 50 percent up to Rs 15 lakh, Rs 25 lakh or Rs 50 lakh by activity; up to 100 percent for government bodies |
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| Validity or window | No deadline printed; forms listed “until further notice” |
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| Where you apply | Five online forms (covering notice paragraph 6) or the Trade Connect ePlatform (trade.gov.in), where the DGFT INSIGHT page now points; check with the EPM Section of DGFT |
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Why this page exists
The PIB backgrounder of 24 February 2026 says INSIGHT covers all exporters, which reads like a grant any exporter can claim. It is not. Annexure II paragraph 2(a) lists only institutions, and paragraph 7 prints no ceiling at all for trade intelligence systems.
Rasp International is an ISO 9001:2015 certified export and import (EXIM) and DGFT advisory firm founded in 2019 that has served 500 plus exporters.
What INSIGHT is
INSIGHT is a project grant that funds export training, research, district facilitation and trade intelligence tools for export support institutions, run by the EPM Section of DGFT under Niryat Disha. See our Export Promotion Mission guide.
Paragraph 3 of the covering notice sets four sub-areas:
- Export capacity building and skills development
- District and cluster level export facilitation
- Trade intelligence, analytics and digital knowledge systems
- Research, innovation and pilot interventions
District work ties INSIGHT to the Districts as Export Hubs framework in Chapter 3 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). There, a State Government sets up a District Export Promotion Committee (DEPC) to prepare the District Export Action Plan, which the State Export Promotion Committee (SEPC) endorses (Annexure II paragraphs 1(d) and 1(e)). Annexure V lists eight emerging areas of trade, including digital trade and artificial intelligence.
Who reviews proposals. The Sub-Committee on Trade Facilitation and Intelligence, chaired by the Additional DGFT in charge of the EPM Division, recommends on proposals and ceilings (Annexure III paragraph 1(e)), with members from the Ministries of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and External Affairs (MEA).
What INSIGHT pays for
District and cluster helpdesks and toolkits are among the activities INSIGHT can fund for an eligible body.| Activity | What it covers | Share and ceiling | Annexure II |
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| Modules and toolkits | Training modules, digital content, manuals and standard operating procedures | Up to 50 percent, capped at Rs 15 lakh | 4(b), 4(c) |
| Training | Programmes, workshops, seminars and export import courses | Up to 50 percent, capped at Rs 25 lakh | 4(b), 4(d) |
| Research and pilots | Applied research, trade analytics, proof of concept work, pilots and hackathons | Ordinarily up to 50 percent, capped at Rs 25 lakh | 5(b), 5(c) |
| District and cluster facilitation | Training, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS, food safety and plant and animal health) readiness, counselling and helpdesks | Ordinarily up to 50 percent, capped at Rs 50 lakh | 6(b), 6(d) |
| Trade intelligence systems | Platforms, dashboards, databases, alerts and licensed tools | No share or ceiling printed | 7(a), 7(b) |
| Government applicants | Central or State Government bodies including Indian Missions; DEPCs and SEPCs on district work | Up to 100 percent | 4(e), 5(d), 6(d) |
Costs that never count: capital expenditure, physical infrastructure and transaction linked support, under Annexure II paragraphs 8(a) and 8(b). Allowed: fees, content, research, digital work, events and running costs (paragraph 8(a)).
Illustrative example. A council’s training series has an approved cost of Rs 60 lakh. Half is Rs 30 lakh, above the Rs 25 lakh ceiling in paragraph 4(d), so the grant cannot exceed Rs 25 lakh and the council funds at least Rs 35 lakh.
What an exporter can get from an INSIGHT project
An exporter can use what a project builds: courses, toolkits on Trade Connect, district helpdesks (see what an export help desk covers) and public dashboards. A district programme may ask for your export business plan and 8 digit Harmonized System (HS) codes (district format items 11 and 23). For one product, see export market research.
Who can apply and who cannot
Who can apply
Annexure II paragraph 2(a) lists:
- Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and Commodity Boards recognised under Appendix 2T of the FTP 2023
- Offices and agencies of the Department of Commerce, including regional offices
- The MEA and Indian Missions abroad
- Organisations or associations recommended by the Ministry of MSME or the MEA
- Academic and research institutions recognised under a Central or State Act or by the University Grants Commission (UGC)
- DEPCs and SEPCs
- Organisations or associations recommended by the Central Government or a State Government
Who cannot apply
- An exporter or company applying for itself.
- An association with no recommendation from a ministry or a government.
- An institute without recognition under a Central or State Act or by the UGC.
- A private training firm or consultancy without a government recommendation. It can still be an implementing partner chosen through a transparent process (district format items 14 and 15).
- A body with a bad record. The Annexure IV declarations bar a body under investigation, debarred or blacklisted under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 or other trade laws.
Documents that get an INSIGHT proposal through
| Document | What the authority checks | The mismatch that brings a query or rejection |
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| Proposal in the Annexure IV format | The format matches the activity | A toolkit filed as a training event, which carries a different ceiling (paragraphs 4(c) and 4(d)) |
| Proof of eligibility | Appendix 2T, UGC or statutory recognition, or proof of the recommendation (paragraph 2(a)) | An association with no recommendation on record |
| District Export Action Plan extract and endorsement | Each activity is in the plan, with DEPC and SEPC routing or endorsement where applicable (paragraph 6(c)) | Activities for a product or cluster the plan does not name |
| Budget and assistance sought | Each line is project specific and admissible (paragraph 8(a); district format item 21) | Equipment, furniture or a fit out in the budget, or more than 50 percent sought outside the 100 percent cases |
| Beneficiary profile | Enterprise type, exporter category, business plans and 8 digit HS codes (district format items 9 to 13 and 23) | A round number of MSMEs with no plans, or 4 digit HS codes |
| Partner selection record | A transparent selection, or for research, General Financial Rules (GFR) selection or a written reason for nomination (district format item 15; research format items 10 and 11) | A partner named with no record of how it was chosen |
| Declarations | No investigation or penalty, no other grant for the same activity and a signatory authorised under FTP paragraph 11.06 (Annexure IV) | The same workshop also funded by a state department |
How to apply, stage by stage
1
Before you apply: check the list
Match your body to one of the seven types in paragraph 2(a). Associations get the recommendation first.
2
Before you apply: pick the format and partners
Use the matching Annexure IV format, align district work with the action plan and choose partners transparently.
3
Filing: confirm the route first
Paragraph 6 lists five online forms for use until further notice. The DGFT INSIGHT page now sends applicants to Trade Connect, as does the PIB backgrounder of 24 February 2026. Check with the EPM Section of DGFT which route to use.
4
After filing: evaluation and approval
The PIB backgrounder describes evaluation by the EPM Division, recommendation by the Sub-Committee and final approval by the Steering Committee.
5
After filing: instalments and accounts
Funds are ordinarily released in instalments, with an advance where approved; later instalments depend on certified progress and utilisation certificates (paragraphs 10(a) to 10(c)). Final accounts need a Certificate of Disclosure of Interest (Annexure IV declaration item 6).
The lapse rule. No application deadline is printed. The deadlines that bite come after sanction: a missed progress report, utilisation certificate or audited account may end further assistance and lead to recovery (paragraph 11(b)), and an unmet deliverable makes the advance refundable with interest (paragraph 11(a)).
Writing an INSIGHT proposal for a council, committee or institution
We prepare it in your body’s own name, or guide your team to file. Send us the activity, the sector and the budget.
Where INSIGHT proposals go wrong
These patterns follow from the notice, not from named cases.
| Failure | What you see | What actually broke |
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| Applicant not on the list | Proposal not taken forward | Paragraph 2(a) lists seven types of body, and a company applying for itself is not one |
| Capital items in the budget | Lines cut or questioned | Paragraphs 8(a) and 8(b) bar capital spending and physical infrastructure |
| District work outside the plan | Query on alignment | Paragraph 6(c) ties district work to the District Export Action Plan |
| Same activity funded twice | Penal action for a false declaration | Paragraph 8(d) and declaration item 7 bar a second grant; item 4 makes a false declaration liable to penal action |
| Objectives not met | Advance liable to refund with interest | Paragraphs 11(a) and 11(d) allow refund, withdrawal or debarment |
How INSIGHT fits with other schemes
INSIGHT funds knowledge, Market Access Support (MAS) events and FLOW facilities. Trade Regulations, Accreditation and Compliance Enablement (TRACE) repays an exporter’s own certification.
| Scheme | Pays for | Who applies | Government share and ceiling | Notice |
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| INSIGHT | Training, research, district facilitation and trade intelligence | Seven types of body | Up to 50 percent, capped at Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh; up to 100 percent for government | 27/2025-26 |
| MAS | Buyer seller meets, fairs, exhibitions and trade delegations | Organising agencies such as EPCs | 60 percent, 80 percent for priority sectors (para 6.2(e)); up to Rs 5 crore per fair (para 6.2(d)) | 19/2025-26, amended by 08/2026-27 |
| FLOW | Overseas warehousing, fulfilment, display facilities and E-Commerce Export Hubs | Bodies such as EPCs, logistics providers and exporter clusters, incorporated in India | 30 percent, up to Rs 10 crore a year for a warehouse, for three years at most (paras 3(b), 4(a)) | 28/2025-26 |
| TRACE | An exporter’s own testing and certification cost | The exporter | Set by enterprise size | 26/2025-26, amended by 09/2026-27 |
No double benefit. Annexure II paragraph 8(d) of Trade Notice 27/2025-26 requires an undertaking that the same project or expenditure is not funded under any other Government of India scheme, and the Annexure IV declaration adds State Government grants. FLOW has the same undertaking (Trade Notice 28/2025-26, Annexure II paragraph 7(b)). A body using both MAS and INSIGHT must keep the activities and their costs separate.
What INSIGHT will not do
1
It will not pay an exporter directly
No exporter is on the list in paragraph 2(a); exporters gain only through what approved bodies deliver.
2
It will not build anything physical
Capital expenditure and physical infrastructure are not admissible under paragraphs 8(a) and 8(b).
3
It will not let you keep a fully funded product private
Outputs go on Government platforms and are ordinarily public, and intellectual property from full funding vests with the Government of India (paragraphs 4(f), 5(e), 7(c) and 7(d)).
How Rasp International handles INSIGHT
When a council, committee, association or institution engages us for an INSIGHT proposal, we prepare and file it end to end, always in the applicant body’s own name. Bodies that prefer to file themselves can do so with our guidance.
We sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and a service level agreement (SLA) with every client. The client and Rasp both hold the portal logins, kept safe and confidential, and documents sit in encrypted storage. We give an authority letter only when a client asks for one. We hold no customs broker (CHA) licence; licensed CHA partners across India handle customs clearance. See how we work.
Planning district export training or a trade intelligence tool
Tell us which body will apply and what you want to build, and we will say which INSIGHT format fits.
What Is Not Yet Notified, Checked on 27 October 2026
- The share and ceiling for trade intelligence systems, which paragraph 7 does not print, though the PIB backgrounder of 24 February 2026 cites up to 50 percent generally. Check with the EPM Section of DGFT before you budget.
- The live filing route, call dates, a decision timeline, an appeal route and the instalment pattern. Check with the EPM Section of DGFT before you submit.
- Whether a state university counts as a State Government institution for 100 percent funding, and whether DEPCs and SEPCs get it outside district work. Check with the EPM Section of DGFT.
- Whether a private training provider can be a recommended organisation, and whether your 50 percent may come from public funds. Check with the EPM Section of DGFT.
- A final version of the guidelines, issued as draft for comment, with no revised notice up to Trade Notice 32/2026-27 dated 26 October 2026. Check with the EPM Section of DGFT.
- Which INSIGHT programmes run in your district and any attendance fee, as we found no published list of approved projects. Exporters should check with their Export Promotion Council or the DGFT regional authority.
Frequently asked questions
What is the INSIGHT scheme under the Export Promotion Mission?
INSIGHT, or Integrated Support for Trade Intelligence and Facilitation, is a DGFT project grant under the Niryat Disha arm of the Export Promotion Mission. Trade Notice 27/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026 launched INSIGHT to fund training, research, district facilitation and trade intelligence work by eligible institutions.
Can an individual exporter apply for INSIGHT?
No. Annexure II paragraph 2(a) of Trade Notice 27/2025-26 lists institutions only: councils, boards, government offices, Indian Missions, recommended associations, recognised institutions and export promotion committees. An exporter benefits by joining the training, counselling or tools these bodies run with INSIGHT support.
Who is eligible to apply for INSIGHT support?
Under Trade Notice 27/2025-26: Export Promotion Councils and Commodity Boards, Department of Commerce offices, the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Missions, recommended associations, recognised academic and research institutions, district and state export committees and bodies recommended by the Central or a State Government.
How much funding does INSIGHT give for a project?
Trade Notice 27/2025-26 allows up to 50 percent of the approved project cost, capped at Rs 15 lakh for toolkits, Rs 25 lakh for training, Rs 25 lakh for research and Rs 50 lakh for district facilitation. Government bodies may get up to 100 percent. Annexure II prints no ceiling for trade intelligence systems.
Can a government body get 100 percent funding under INSIGHT?
Yes, subject to approval. Annexure II of Trade Notice 27/2025-26 allows up to 100 percent of approved cost for Central or State Government bodies, including Indian Missions, in capacity building and research, and for government departments and district or state export committees in district facilitation.
Can an industry association apply for INSIGHT?
Only with a recommendation, unless it is a recognised Export Promotion Council or Commodity Board. Trade Notice 27/2025-26 lists associations recommended by the Ministry of MSME, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Central Government or a State Government. Without that recommendation an association is not on the list.
Does INSIGHT pay for a district export facilitation centre?
INSIGHT can fund counselling, outreach, helpdesks, training and toolkits at district level under Annexure II paragraph 6(b), but not for buildings, fit out or equipment. Capital expenditure and physical infrastructure are not admissible under paragraph 8, so run the helpdesk from an existing office.
How do I apply for INSIGHT?
Use the Annexure IV format for your activity. Paragraph 6 of Trade Notice 27/2025-26 lists five online forms for use until further notice, but the DGFT INSIGHT page now links to the Trade Connect ePlatform. Confirm the live route with the EPM Section of DGFT.
Is there a last date to apply for INSIGHT?
Trade Notice 27/2025-26 prints no application deadline, and its online forms are listed for use until further notice, on a pilot basis. The deadlines that bind come after approval: progress reports, utilisation certificates and audited accounts within your sanction timelines, under Annexure II paragraph 11(b).
Who approves INSIGHT proposals?
The Sub-Committee on Trade Facilitation and Intelligence, chaired by the Additional DGFT in charge of the EPM Division, recommends proposals under Annexure III. The PIB backgrounder of 24 February 2026 adds evaluation by the EPM Division before it and final approval by the Steering Committee after it.
Can an INSIGHT project also take money from another scheme?
Not for the same activity. Annexure II paragraph 8(d) requires an undertaking that the project is not funded under any other Government of India scheme, and the Annexure IV declaration adds State Government grants. A cost already funded under Market Access Support cannot be claimed again under INSIGHT.
How does an exporter benefit from INSIGHT?
INSIGHT toolkits go on Government platforms including Trade Connect, trade intelligence outputs are ordinarily public and district projects can offer counselling and helpdesks. There is no direct claim, so ask your Export Promotion Council or district export promotion committee which INSIGHT programmes run near you.
Sources
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 27/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, INSIGHT, Annexures I to V: content.dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. DGFT INSIGHT page: dgft.gov.in; Trade Connect ePlatform: trade.gov.in.
- Tier 1. DGFT trade notice list to Trade Notice No. 32/2026-27 dated 26 October 2026, for the MAS and TRACE notices: dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. DGFT Trade Notice No. 28/2025-26 dated 20 February 2026, FLOW: content.dgft.gov.in.
- Tier 1. PIB backgrounder on the Export Promotion Mission, 24 February 2026: pib.gov.in.
This is general guidance. Rules change. Check the current notification or trade notice, or speak to us, before you act.
Related: Export Promotion Mission schemes | Every EPM scheme and trade notice | Market Access Support