India’s First E-Commerce Export Hub Set To Be Operational By March This Year

In a big step for India's e-commerce sector, the country’s first E-Commerce Export Hub is set to become operational by March 2025, revealed Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). 

The pilot phase has been approved for five companies, including logistics aggregator Shiprocket and air cargo handling firm Cargo Service Centre in Delhi, DHL and Lexship in Bengaluru, and goGlocal in Mumbai.

The initiative aims to streamline and boost India’s e-commerce exports, which currently stand at a modest $5 billion annually, in stark contrast to China’s $250 billion.

With a projected market potential of over $100 billion by 2030—and a possible expansion to $200-250 billion in subsequent years—the hubs will play a crucial role in unlocking the sector’s growth.

Key features of the export hubs include self-sealing procedures without customs or BCAS checks at gateway ports, a simplified reimport policy for returns, and on-site outposts for quality and certification agencies.

These innovations are expected to reduce procedural bottlenecks and enhance efficiency, making Indian exporters more competitive globally.

The DGFT is working closely with the commerce and revenue departments, as well as the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), to finalise standard operating procedures (SOPs).

"We expect the first e-commerce hub operational by March of this year," Sarangi stated, underscoring the government’s commitment to modernising trade infrastructure.

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