Export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs (EPCES)

To service the export promotional needs of Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and Special economic zones (SEZs) in the country, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India established the Export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs (EPCES). EPCES is the Multi-product Council and represents major industrial sectors of the country. The Council, headquartered in New Delhi, works towards boosting the growth of the Indian EOUs & SEZ sector by conducting international trade fairs, seminars, and other trade promotional activities. Get your Importer Exporter Code (IEC) through IndiaFilings

The objective of the EPCES

• To promote exports from India and to earn more foreign exchange
• To facilitate interaction between the EOUs and SEZs community and the Government
• To provide benefits of the Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme rendered by the Central Government to Indian Exporters for assisting the export market development efforts
• To collaborate with other export promotion councils in India and similar bodies in foreign countries

Industries Covered

The Council is the only scheme-specific and Multi-product Council for Textiles, Garments &Yarn, Gem & Jewellery, Leather Goods, Food & Agro Products, Electronics & Software, Information Technology, Pharmaceuticals &Chemicals, Engineering, Minerals, Granites & other stones, Plastic &Rubber goods, etc.

EPCES Membership Benefits

The export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs plays a significant role in bringing all stakeholders from EOUs & SEZ sector and the Government on one platform and participating actively to promote EOUs & SEZ industry in India abroad.

Open Houses

EPCES organizes Open Houses of EOUs, SEZ Units, and SEZ Developers in different parts of the country to resolve the issues of the EOU/SEZ Sector and provides suggestions from its members for submission to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for the formulation of Foreign Trade Policy, SEZ Act and SEZ Rules.

Trade fairs/Exhibitions

EPCES members can regularly participate in trade fairs/exhibitions abroad to promote exports from the country and to build a sharp image of Indian products overseas.

Financial Assistance

The Council also provides financial assistance through the Market Access Initiative (MAI) to member participants in the fairs.

One-to-One Meetings

The export Council organizes one-to-one meetings at the trade fairs with foreign buyers, and members get immediate export orders during the shows.

EPCES Seminar

EPCES council, in association with High Commissions of India, is organizing seminars in Singapore, Indonesia  & Taiwan by taking high-power delegations from our country for bringing foreign investments in SEZ Scheme in India. These seminars provide an excellent opportunity for the delegates and SEZ developers to interact with people in business and investors. These seminars also offered a unique opportunity for people in business and investors in these countries to learn about the Indian SEZ scheme and various SEZs and meet different SEZ developers.

EPCES Circulars

EPCES also keeps its council members abreast of the latest developments concerning the issuance of notifications, and circulars from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, RBI, etc

EPCES Export Awards

EPCES presents Export Awards to the best EOUs and SEZ Units for Outstanding Export Performance every year.

EPCES Book

EPCES is publishing Books that incorporate Notifications and Circulars relating to EOUs and SEZ Units

EPCES News

EPCES has been regularly publishing its Newsletter magazine, "EPCES News. EPCES News has continuously and continuously been bringing up and highlighting the issues and problems relating to the EOU & SEZ community.

EPCES Membership

The unit or the developer, including the co-developer, must obtain a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) for avail exemptions, drawbacks, and concessions.

Eligibility Criteria for EPCES Membership

After obtaining the Letter of Approval from the office of the concerned Development Commissioner or Board of Approval (BOA) to set up an EOU, SEZ unit, or SEZ Developer, the unit becomes eligible for EPCES Membership.

Categories of EPCES Member

There are three categories of EPCES members, as follows:

• Export Oriented Units (EOUs)
• Special Economic Zone Units (SEZ units) and
• Special Economic Zone Developers (SEZ) & Co-Developer

Documents for EPCES Membership Registration

The applicant needs to forward the following documents to the Council:

• Copy of LOA, LOP, BOA, and Gazette Notification
• GST Registration
• Proof of export turnover: APR copy of the last financial year
• CA Certificate
• Self Certified export turnover

EPCES Membership Fee

To become a member of the export promotion council, the applicant must pay a membership subscription per the preceding year's export performance plus applicable taxes.

Membership Subscription Details for EOU Units

Membership Subscription details for EOU Units	Subscription	GST @ 18%	Total Payable
Export turnover up to Rs. 5 Crore	Rs. 5,000/-	Rs. 900/-	Rs. 5,900/-
Export turnover above Rs.5 Crore to Rs 25 Crore	Rs. 10,000/-	Rs. 1,800/	Rs. 11,800/-
Export turnover Rs.25 Crore and above	Rs. 15,000/-	Rs. 2,700/	Rs. 17,700/-

Membership Subscription details for SEZ Units

Membership Subscription details for EOU Units	Subscription	Total Payable
Export turnover up to Rs. 5 Crore	Rs. 5,000/-	Rs. 5,000/-
Export turnover above Rs.5 Crore to Rs 25 Crore	Rs. 10,000/-	Rs. 10,000/-
Export turnover Rs.25 Crore and above	Rs. 15,000/-	Rs. 15,000/-

One-time admission and Yearly Membership subscription

Details	One-time admission fee for SEZ Developers	Yearly Membership subscription for SEZs
Big SEZ Developers above 1000 hectares of land	Rs. 50,000/-	Rs. 20,000/-
Small SEZ Developers below 1000 hectares of land	Rs. 20,000/-	Rs. 15,000/-

Application Procedure for EPCES Membership Registration

The application procedure to obtain the EPCES membership is as follows:

Make the Payment before Applying for RCMC

Kindly send us the payment towards the membership subscription as per the export turnover and, after that, successfully apply for a New Membership or Membership renewal of EPCES online. Make the payment in the form cheque, pay the order, and demand draft in favor of "Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs," payable at New Delhi. The bank details are as follows.

Name of the Beneficiary	Export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs
Name of Bank	ICICI Bank
Bank Address	Karol Baug Branch, 2692, Desh Bandhu Gupta Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005
Code No. of Bank	6291
Saving Account No.	629101102838
RTGS/NEFT IFSC Code	ICIC0006291
PAN No.	AAATE1565C
GST No.	07AAATE1565C1Z5

• Access the official web page of the EPCES and move to the login screen for Exporter. Exporters need to enter the IEC Number and the first three letters of the Company Name and click on the Login button.

Export Promotion Council for EOUs & SEZs (EPCES) - Application Page

• By clicking the login button, a Digital signature certificate screen will appear. Exporters must attach their own DSC token, and The digital signature will map with the Exporter's login. Exporter always has to connect the same token while login into the system.
• On successful login, the exporters will be prompted for the below screen. In the new RCMC window, the Exporter has to enter all the below-required details and click on the "Continue" button to proceed further.
• Once successfully login, the applicant will be prompted to furnish any one option out of the following three options:
  • Add New Member
  • Renewal of Member
  • Renew for the same old unit or factory
• After filling in the above details and clicking on the Continue button, the system will take the member/exporter to proceed further to enter the required information.
• After entering the complete details of the SEZ and uploading the required documents, the same will be verified and approved by EPCES. After that, the applicant will receive an email alert that the membership certificate is ready, and the applicant can download it.

DGFT Registration cum Membership Certificate (RCMC)

Earlier, an exporter desiring to obtain an RCMC had to file an application in Form ANF 2C with the Tea Board and declare his mainstream business in the application. The procedure was outlined above for reference. The Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued a Trade Notice No.35/2021-2022 for Mandatory Electronic filing of Registration Cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) or Registration Certificate (RC) through DGFT Common Digital Platform with effect from 01.04.2022. With this Trade Notice, DGFT informed that a new Common Digital Platform (DGFT e-RCMC module) for Issuance of RCMC had been developed, which would be single-point access for all exporters & importers. This Common Digital Platform is designed to provide an electronic, contactless single window for the RCMC/RC-related processes, including Applications for Fresh/ Amendment/ Renewal of RCMC/ RC. The Common Digital Platform for Electronic filing of RCMC shall be available at . Click here to learn more about the DGFT Registration cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) – Online Procedure.

About the Author

RENU SURESH
Renu Suresh is a proficient writer with a knack for turning intricate legal concepts into clear, actionable advice. Her articles empower entrepreneurs by providing the knowledge they need to navigate the complexities of business laws, ensuring they can start and manage their businesses effectively.

Updated on: December 8th, 2022