How to Start Export Business in India (2025): A Step-by-Step Guide

India’s export engine is already huge, and still growing. In FY 2024–25, India’s total exports (merchandise + services) were about $825B (merchandise $437.5B, services $387.5B). 

If you’re thinking “How do I start an export business in India?”, the good news is: the path is predictable. The bad news is: people skip steps, and then get stuck at customs, with bank paperwork, or when the payment arrives, and the numbers don’t match.

This guide is that roadmap, written so you can actually follow it.

TL;DR (the roadmap)

Step 1: Market research that actually helps you choose a product

Most first-time exporters start with a product they like. Better approach: start with where India already has export depth, then niche down.

A quick reality check from India’s recent export mix (calendar year 2024) shows where volumes concentrate: mineral fuels & oils, electrical machinery, gems/precious stones, machinery, pharma, organic chemicals, cereals, etc. 

Use that only as a starting point. Your real job is to find a product-market combo where:

Practical workflow (simple, not fancy):

Step 2: Check HS code + restrictions before you do anything else

Every export shipment is anchored to an HS code. It decides:

If your product is restricted, you’ll need the relevant permissions/licenses before shipping (DGFT and/or product-specific bodies).

This step saves you from the worst kind of delay: a shipment ready to go, but blocked because your classification or approvals weren’t ready.

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Step 3: Register your business (and open the right bank account)

To start an export business in India, you need a legal business entity. Choose based on how you’ll operate:

Next: open a current account with an Authorised Dealer (AD Category-I) bank for foreign exchange transactions. This becomes your base layer for inward remittances, documentation, and reconciliations.

Step 4: Get the core IDs: PAN, GST, IEC (and then RCMC)

PAN + GST

IEC (Importer-Exporter Code)

IEC is your passport for exporting. Without it, you can’t legally clear shipments or run export documentation workflows smoothly.

RCMC (Registration-cum-Membership Certificate)

If you want to access export incentives/benefits and participate through Export Promotion Councils, RCMC becomes relevant. Think of it as a “membership + eligibility” layer that helps you play fully in the export ecosystem.

(And yes, if you’re searching how to start import export business in India or how to start an import and export business in India, the above stack still applies. Import adds additional product and compliance checks, but IEC/GST/banking remain foundational.)

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Step 5: Set up your export documentation workflow (so payments don’t get messy later)

Exports are paperwork-heavy, but you can make it systematic.

Core documents you’ll use repeatedly:

RBI/FEMA: export proceeds timeline (don’t ignore this)

Export proceeds must be realised and repatriated to India within the permitted time period. Recent FEMA export regulations reflect a 15-month realisation window (with RBI having powers around extensions/conditions). 

So when you set payment terms with the buyer, keep this timeline in mind—especially if you’re tempted to allow very long credit periods.

Step 6: Logistics, Incoterms, packaging, insurance

This is where many new exporters lose money quietly.

Choose partners who do this daily

Work with a freight forwarder/customs broker who has experience in your category + destination lanes. Their value is not just shipping—it’s preventing avoidable mistakes.

Understand Incoterms (without overthinking)

Incoterms decide: who pays, who insures, who bears risk, and when responsibility shifts.

If you’re new, avoid overcomplicated terms initially. Pick a model where responsibilities are clear, and you’re not accidentally taking on costs you didn’t price in.

Packaging + insurance

Treat packaging as compliance, not aesthetics. And ensure shipments, especially early on, because one incident can wipe out your margin.

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Step 7: Decide payment terms (this determines how safe your export business is)

Export businesses don’t fail only because of demand, they fail because cash flow breaks.

Common options:

A simple rule: the newer the buyer relationship, the more you bias toward safety.

Step 8: Receiving export payments in India (where most exporters leak money)

Now the part many guides rush through: getting paid.

Receiving money internationally is not just “a bank transfer arrived.” You want:

Common ways buyers pay, and how to choose without ideology

The right answer depends on ticket size, buyer preference, and your margin.

Where Skydo fits 

If you’re setting up exports and want a cleaner way to receive international payments, you need something that works like an export layer—not a consumer wallet.

Skydo is built for Indian exporters and service businesses to receive cross-border payments with more transparency and less chasing. Skydo’s own terms state it is authorised under the RBI framework for cross-border payment aggregation. 

What that looks like in practice:

Step 9: Build credibility + channels to get buyers consistently

Export is a trust game.

Start with:

And yes: trade fairs still matter because trust closes faster face-to-face.

Step 10: Risk management (what experienced exporters do quietly)

If you want longevity, plan for:

Closing: your export business is a system, not a single shipment

Starting an export business from India isn’t one big leap; it’s a sequence of small, correct setups: product-market fit, paperwork, shipping discipline, and then a payments + compliance flow that doesn’t bleed money or time.

If you follow the steps above, you’ll not only “start exporting”, you’ll build an export engine that can repeat every month.

And when you reach the “getting paid” step, choose a setup that matches your buyer’s reality (wires, local rails, sometimes cards) while keeping your FX and documentation clean. Platforms like Skydo are designed to do exactly that for Indian exporters