EPCES

What EPCES does

EPCES (Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zones) is a statutory Export Promotion Council established by India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce. It is the government-mandated representative body for Export Oriented Units (EOUs), SEZ Units and SEZ Developers/Co-Developers, an estimated 7,000 operational entities that collectively contribute nearly 34% of India's total exports. EPCES administers the RCMC (Registration-cum-Membership Certificate) on behalf of DGFT, making membership a prerequisite for EOUs and SEZ units to claim export incentives, drawback and concessions under SEZ Rules (G.S.R. 771-E) and DGFT Public Notice 27/2015-2020.

The council is not a technology or product company; it operates as a membership-based advocacy, regulatory-support and trade-promotion body. Service offerings include policy advocacy before the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, DGFT, CBIC, GST Council, CBDT, RBI and state governments; expert regulatory guidance on the SEZ Act, SEZ Rules, EOU Scheme, Foreign Trade Policy, GST and Customs matters delivered through its BDO India knowledge partner via [email protected]; publications (quarterly EPCES News, Weekly News, Monthly Trade Bulletin); MAI scheme support for global marketing; Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin issuance; capacity-building webinars and seminars; and trade promotion through exhibitions, buyer-seller meets and B2B delegations.

EPCES revenue is generated through tiered annual membership subscription fees set by turnover bands (Rs 6,000 for exports up to Rs 5 crore; Rs 12,500 for Rs 5-25 crore; Rs 19,500 for above Rs 25 crore; plus 18% GST on EOU subscriptions) and additional one-time admission fees of Rs 26,000-Rs 65,000 for new SEZ Developers based on land size. The organization operates from a New Delhi headquarters and seven regional offices (Kochi/CSEZ, Chennai/MEPZ, Noida/NSEZ, Mumbai/SEEPZ, Gandhidham/Kandla SEZ, Visakhapatnam VSEZ, Bangalore), with an elected Chairman (Srikanth Badiga, since March 2024) and Director General (Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi) governing Central and Regional Governing Councils.

Name

EPCES

Legal name

Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zones, India

Website

https://epces.in

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EPCES is the Government of India-mandated Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and SEZ Units/Developers, administering RCMC registration and providing policy advocacy, regulatory guidance, and trade promotion services to approximately 7,000 operational units that contribute nearly 34% of India's total exports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: EPCES generates revenue through annual membership fees from EOUs, SEZ Units, and SEZ Developers/Co-Developers. Fees are tiered based on export turnover: members with exports up to Rs 5 crore pay Rs 6,000 subscription, those with Rs 5-25 crore exports pay Rs 12,500, and those above Rs 25 crore exports pay Rs 19,500. New SEZ Developers pay additional one-time admission fees ranging from Rs 26,000 to Rs 65,000 depending on land size. Membership is mandatory per government mandate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EPCES is a government-mandated Export Promotion Council that exclusively issues Registration-cum-Membership Certificates (RCMC) to Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) units and developers in India. Beyond registration, it provides policy advocacy with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, regulatory guidance, trade promotion events, non-preferential Certificate of Origin issuance, and industry publications serving its member base of approximately 7,000 export entities.

Product overview

EPCES (Export Promotion Council for Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zones) is a government-authorized council established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce, Government of India. It is not a product/technology company but rather an industry advocacy and service body. EPCES provides services including RCMC (Registration-cum-Membership Certificate) registration facilitation through the DGFT portal, publication of EPCES News (quarterly), Weekly News, and Monthly Trade Bulletins, help desk services for regulatory and compliance queries, expert guidance on SEZ Act, SEZ Rules, EOU Scheme, Foreign Trade Policy, GST and Customs matters through their knowledge partner BDO India, and Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin issuance. The council also organizes stakeholder consultations, seminars, workshops, trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and business networking platforms for its members representing approximately 7,000 operational EOUs and SEZ units/developers contributing nearly 34% of India's total exports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RCMC Membership Registration Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) issued by EPCES to Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and SEZ units/developers in India, which is a mandatory prerequisite for accessing EOU/SEZ benefits under India's Foreign Trade Policy. Membership tiers are priced from Rs. 5,000 (turnover up to Rs. 10 crore) to Rs. 40,000 (turnover above Rs. 100 crore).
• Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin Issuance of non-preferential Certificates of Origin to eligible exporters for their shipments. Available as a paid service by contacting the EPCES help desk for required documentation.
• EPCES Newsletter Publication Periodic Newsletter published by EPCES providing policy updates, regulatory news, and trade promotion content for the EOU and SEZ community, including past reference editions such as the April–June and July–September issues.
• EPCES Trade Bulletin Trade Bulletin publication by EPCES providing trade news, policy analysis, and updates relevant to EOUs, SEZ units, and SEZ developers, including past editions on topics such as the SEZ Act and India-EU FTA.
• Policy Advocacy & Government Liaison Service Representation and advocacy with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce, and other regulators on EOU/SEZ-related issues. Includes raising grievances, policy representation, and stakeholder consultations such as consultations for the SEZ Act review and India's FTAs (e.g., India-EU FTA, India-Australia ECTA).
• Help Desk Service Help desk operated by EPCES to assist members and prospective members on membership applications, regulatory clarifications, document requirements for Certificates of Origin, and other EOU/SEZ-related queries.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BDO IndiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBDO India serves as EPCES's knowledge partner for FY 2025-26, providing expert support on SEZs, EOUs, Foreign Trade Policy matters, and indirect tax-related issues. Members can send detailed technical queries to [email protected] for professional assistance on compliance requirements and regulatory updates.
• KPMG in IndiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEPCES MEPZ Region collaborated with KPMG in India to organize expert sessions on IGCR Compliance and DTA Supplies. KPMG experts provided guidance on digital compliance through ICEGATE and IGCR-1, 2, and 3/3A form requirements.
• ECGC (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPCES collaborated with ECGC to organize outreach session on Trade Finance in Dahej SEZ under the chair of DC Dahej on 24.11.2024. ECGC provides export credit insurance and risk management services.
• DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade)coreOthersDGFT is the parent regulatory body that authorized EPCES to issue RCMC to EOUs (Public Notice 27/2015-2020) and handles all products and services by EOUs & SEZs (Public Notice 45/2015-2020). DGFT hosts the e-RCMC digital portal for membership registration.
• World FZO (World Free Zones Organization)coreOthersEPCES Chairman Srikanth Badiga serves on the Board of Directors of World FZO for 2026-2030. EPCES actively participates in World FZO Annual General Assembly and World Congress events, sharing India's special economic regimes on global stage.
• SEZ Developers and Units NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEPCES represents approximately 7,000 operational EOUs and SEZ units/developers across India. The council facilitates communication between its member units and government authorities, providing policy advocacy and trade promotion services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Authority): Statutory export development body for marine products under the Ministry of Commerce. Comparable peer in terms of export-promotion mandate, regulatory role, and member services, but specialized in seafood exports.
• CHEMEXCIL (Chemicals Export Promotion Council): Export Promotion Council for Indian chemicals manufacturers, with comparable RCMC and trade-promotion functions to EPCES. Represents a sector-specific peer that competes for ministry attention and policy influence.
• APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority): Government export promotion authority for agricultural and processed food products under the Ministry of Commerce. Comparable as a parallel export-promotion body with registration, advocacy, and trade facilitation functions similar to EPCES but focused on agri-food.
• EEPC India (Engineering Export Promotion Council): India's largest sector-specific Export Promotion Council, set up by the Ministry of Commerce to promote engineering goods exports. Closely comparable to EPCES in mandate (RCMC issuance, policy advocacy, trade promotion), differing only in product vertical focus.
• GJEPC (Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council): Export Promotion Council for the gems and jewellery sector, set up by the Ministry of Commerce. Mirrors EPCES's structure of RCMC issuance, regional offices, and international trade fair participation but in a different product vertical.
• PLEXCONCIL (Plastics Export Promotion Council): Export Promotion Council for plastics products, established by the Ministry of Commerce. Functionally identical to EPCES in mandate (RCMC, advocacy, market access initiatives) but serving plastics exporters.
• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO): Apex body of India's export promotion councils and trade associations, coordinating policy advocacy on behalf of Indian exporters. Directly comparable to EPCES as a peer government-recognized trade body representing Indian exporters, though operating at an inter-council level rather than for EOUs/SEZs specifically.
• TEXPROCIL (Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council): Export Promotion Council representing Indian cotton textile exporters, also established by the Ministry of Commerce. Operates the same model as EPCES (RCMC registration, trade promotion, policy advocacy) within the textile vertical.
• Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXIL): Export Promotion Council for shellac, forest, and related products. Another peer EPC operating under the same Ministry of Commerce framework with similar RCMC and advocacy functions for its niche export verticals.

Others

• World Free Zones Organization (World FZO): Global non-profit association of free zones worldwide. Relevant ecosystem peer: EPCES participates in World FZO's annual congress and EPCES's Chairman sits on its Board of Directors, making it a partner rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dgepces
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epces

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EPCES