DGFT Extends RELIEF Intervention Eligibility Till 31 March 2027 to Support Exporters Amid Continuing West Asia Crisis

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Dated: 03.10.2026

DGFT Extends RELIEF Intervention Eligibility Till 31 March 2027 to Support Exporters Amid Continuing West Asia Crisis

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has extended the eligibility timelines under Component II of the Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation (RELIEF) Intervention up to 31 March 2027, providing additional support to Indian exporters facing logistics challenges arising from the continuing West Asia Crisis.

The extension has been notified through Notification No. 37/2026-27 dated 30 September 2026 under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM). According to the notification, the measure is intended to enhance utilisation of the intervention and facilitate trade resilience.

DGFT Amends Earlier RELIEF Notifications

Notification No. 37/2026-27 has been issued by the Central Government in exercise of powers conferred under Sections 3 and 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, read with paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023.

Through the latest notification, DGFT has amended:

Notification No. 65/2025-26 dated 19 March 2026; and
Notification No. 21/2026-27 dated 29 June 2026,

relating to the RELIEF Intervention under the Export Promotion Mission.

Component II Timeline Extended to 31 March 2027

The central change is an amendment to Paragraph 7.2 of the Annexure to Notification No. 65/2025-26, which deals with the eligibility and validity criteria under Component II.

DGFT has provided that the relevant timeline shall now stand extended up to 31 March 2027 for:

“shipments meant for delivery or transshipment under the intervention.”

The stated objective of this extension is twofold: to enhance utilisation of the RELIEF Intervention and to facilitate trade resilience.
This gives exporters a longer eligibility window for shipments falling within the scope of Component II rather than allowing the earlier timeline to expire.

What Is the RELIEF Intervention?

The notification identifies RELIEF as the Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation, operating under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM).
The present notification is specifically concerned with Component II of the intervention and its eligibility timeline. It does not purport to rewrite the entire RELIEF framework; instead, it extends the period during which qualifying shipments meant for delivery or transshipment can fall within the intervention.
For exporters, the amendment is particularly relevant where logistics and transshipment arrangements have been affected by the continuing disruption associated with the West Asia region.

Continuing West Asia Crisis Behind the Extension

The “Effect of this Notification” portion expressly states that the eligibility timelines under Component II of the EPM RELIEF Intervention have been extended up to 31 March 2027:
“to support Indian exporters and mitigate logistics challenges arising out of the continuing West Asia Crisis.”
The express reference to the West Asia Crisis is important because it identifies the policy rationale behind the extension: protecting export continuity where international logistics and transshipment routes continue to face disruption.

All Other Provisions Remain Unchanged

DGFT has also expressly clarified that all other provisions of Notification No. 65/2025-26 dated 19 March 2026, as amended from time to time, shall remain unchanged.
Accordingly, Notification No. 37/2026-27 should be understood primarily as a timeline-extension measure. It does not, on its face, replace the underlying eligibility conditions or other substantive requirements contained in the original RELIEF framework.
Exporters seeking to rely upon the extension should therefore continue to examine their eligibility under the underlying Notification No. 65/2025-26 and subsequent amendments.

Statutory and Policy Framework

The notification specifically refers to the following legal and policy provisions:

Provision	Relevance
Section 3, FT(D&R) Act, 1992	Statutory power concerning development and regulation of foreign trade
Section 5, FT(D&R) Act, 1992	Power relating to formulation and amendment of Foreign Trade Policy
Para 1.02, FTP 2023	Cited as part of the FTP framework for issuance of the notification
Para 2.01, FTP 2023	Cited by DGFT in exercise of the notification-making framework
Para 7.2 of Annexure to Notification No. 65/2025-26	Provision whose eligibility/validity timeline under Component II has been extended

What Exporters Should Check

Exporters intending to take advantage of the extended timeline should review whether their shipments fall within Component II of the RELIEF Intervention, particularly shipments involving delivery or transshipment.
They should also verify the underlying eligibility and documentation requirements prescribed under Notification No. 65/2025-26 and its subsequent amendments. The latest notification extends the relevant timeline but expressly leaves the other provisions unchanged.
Businesses with shipments affected by disruptions in West Asia should therefore review their shipment dates, delivery/transshipment arrangements and existing RELIEF eligibility to determine whether the extension up to 31 March 2027 can be utilised.

Key Takeaway

DGFT Notification No. 37/2026-27 provides additional time to Indian exporters by extending the eligibility timeline under Component II of the RELIEF Intervention until 31 March 2027.

The measure is specifically aimed at supporting Indian exporters and mitigating logistics challenges arising from the continuing West Asia Crisis. Importantly, this is a targeted extension of the timeline: the other provisions of the existing RELIEF framework remain unchanged.

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Source: DGFT

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