How does IBEAN help with export readiness?

IBEAN's export readiness advisory covers: IEC and AD Code registration, product compliance gap identification, trade finance setup (working with your bank for export packing credit and LC discounting), DGFT scheme benefit calculation, and target market identification. We also advise on ECGC export credit insurance for payment risk protection in new markets.

Comparison Guide

Export Readiness vs IEC Registration India

IEC tells you that you can export. An export readiness assessment tells you whether you should — and from which products and markets.

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The short answer

Get the IEC — it takes 3 days and costs ₹500. Then do the export readiness assessment before investing in an export programme. The assessment tells you which products are viable, which markets to target, what compliance gaps exist, and how much working capital you need. Businesses that skip this step typically spend ₹10–30 lakh on an unprofitable first export attempt.

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	IEC Registration	Export Readiness Assessment
What it is	A 10-digit number issued by DGFT — required for any import or export	A structured evaluation of whether your business is ready to export successfully
Nature	Regulatory requirement; one-time registration	Strategic evaluation; identifies capability gaps before you invest in export
Time to obtain/complete	IEC: 1–3 days online (DGFT portal)	Export readiness assessment: 1–4 weeks depending on scope
Cost	IEC: ₹500 (DGFT fee); zero if PAN-linked	Export readiness assessment: ₹50,000–₹2 lakh depending on scope
What it tells you	Nothing — it is a registration, not an evaluation	Which products are exportable, which markets, what compliance gaps exist, what working capital is needed
Requirement for export	Mandatory — you cannot export without IEC	Voluntary — but businesses that skip this step lose money on their first export attempt
Government schemes	Enables access to DGFT schemes, RoDTEP, advance authorisation	Identifies which DGFT/EXIM Bank/ECGC schemes apply to your products and markets

Frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

5 Questions

IEC is necessary but not sufficient. You also need AD Code registration with your bank (for export proceeds remittance), FSSAI/APEDA/BIS/other product-specific registrations depending on your export category, and an understanding of the importing country's documentation requirements (commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, etc.). An export readiness assessment identifies all these requirements before your first shipment.

There is no minimum revenue requirement for export. Many Indian businesses at ₹2–10Cr start exporting specific products as a revenue diversification strategy. However, the economics change significantly once export revenue reaches 15–20% of total revenue — at that point, dedicated export infrastructure (trade finance, logistics systems, export documentation team) becomes worth investing in.

An export readiness assessment evaluates: product compliance with importing country standards, packaging and labelling requirements, pricing and margin at export FOB/CIF price points, trade finance readiness (LC, advance payment, ECGC cover), logistics capability, DGFT scheme eligibility (RoDTEP, advance authorisation, EPCG), and target market prioritisation. The output is a country-by-country action plan for export market entry.

Key schemes: RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) — provides duty drawback on embedded taxes; EPCG (Export Promotion Capital Goods) — concessional import duty on capital goods for export production; Advance Authorisation — duty-free import of inputs for export production; MSME export credit from SIDBI; ECGC (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation) — insurance against payment default by foreign buyers.

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Planning to start exporting from India?

IBEAN's export readiness assessment identifies which products are viable for export, which markets to target, and what compliance, finance, and logistics gaps to close before your first shipment.

Export readiness checklist