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Guide 06 · 6 min

Exporting from home: small exporters and e-commerce

You can export small parcels through online marketplaces, courier or post. Here is how the rules treat you.

01You still need the basics

Selling abroad from home is still an export. You need an IEC, GST registration (with LUT to export without IGST), and a bank account that can receive foreign payments. Payment through international cards or authorised electronic channels is recognised for e-commerce exports under FTP 2023 Para 9.01.

02E-Commerce Export Hubs (ECEH)

FTP 2023 Chapter 9 provides for E-Commerce Export Hubs — designated places with storage, packing, labelling, testing and customs facilities for cross-border e-commerce. DGFT ran a pilot and has since added an inventory-based e-commerce export framework to the chapter. Confirm which hubs are notified and operational on dgft.gov.in.

03Courier and post

Since 1 April 2026 courier exports have no per-consignment value cap. Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras let you file and send postal exports from a nearby post office. Returned e-commerce goods can be re-imported under customs procedures.

  • Each parcel is a separate export: keep invoices and tracking, and match each payment to its shipment for the bank.
  • Check marketplace rules on product safety and labels in the buyer's country.
Sources (3)
  1. Foreign Trade Policy 2023, Chapter 9 — Promoting cross-border trade in digital economy (DGFT)
  2. DGFT — online services
  3. India Post

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