The Indian government has selected logistics provider Shiprocket and air cargo handler Cargo Service Centre (CSC) to pilot E-commerce Export Hubs (ECEH) near Delhi airport, set to launch in February next year. These hubs will streamline e-commerce exports with expedited customs, security clearance, quality certification, and reimport policies to allow duty-free returns.

The government aims to expand the hubs based on pilot results, based on the feedback received on running of these pilots, the government will come out with detailed guidelines for setting up more such hubs across the country. The guidelines may require policy or regulatory adjustments in different departments, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BACS) and DGFT. Reimport policy will enable the return of e-commerce consignments and rejects without payment of import duty.

"This (ECEH) will be a key element in furthering our exports from our country and allowing exporters from the hinterland to send a diverse basket of goods. It could be pharma goods, it could be textiles, home textiles, apparel, jewellery, ayush products, beauty products. So there is a whole range of things which can go,” DG DGFT Santosh Kumar Sarangi stated.

In the Foreign Trade Policy of 2023 the roadmap for setting up e-commerce export hubs was outlined.