The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a statutory body, established by the Government of India under the APEDA Act under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

APEDA is responsible for the development and promotion of exporting various agricultural and processed food products from India. It is mandatory to obtain an APEDA Certificate to export any scheduled products under the APEDA Act.

APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the following scheduled products:

1. Fruits, vegetables and their products
2. Meat and meat products
3. Poultry and poultry products
4. Dairy products
5. Confectionary, biscuits, and bakery products
6. Honey, jaggery and sugar products
7. Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds
8. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
9. Cereals and Cereal products
10. Groundnuts, peanuts and walnuts
11. Pickles, chutneys and papads
12. Guar Gum
13. Floriculture and floriculture products
14. Herbal and medicinal plants.
15. Cashew kernels, cashew nut shell liquid, kardanol
16. De-oiled rice bran

• Development of Export Industries: Support the growth of industries related to scheduled products for export through financial assistance, surveys, feasibility studies, joint ventures, and subsidy schemes.
• Exporter Registration: Register exporters of scheduled products upon payment of prescribed fees.
• Standards and Specifications: Establish standards and specifications for scheduled products intended for export.
• Inspection of Meat Products: Conduct inspections of meat and meat products in slaughterhouses, processing plants, storage facilities, transport vehicles, and other relevant locations to ensure product quality.
• Packaging Improvement: Improve the packaging of scheduled products.
• Marketing Enhancement: Improve the marketing of scheduled products abroad.
• Export-Oriented Production: Promote the production and development of scheduled products for export.
• Statistics Collection and Publication: Gather and publish statistics from factory owners or establishments involved in the production, processing, packaging, marketing, or export of scheduled products.

The following Documents are required for APEDA registration:

For Merchant & Manufacturer Exporter:

1. Copy of PAN card
2. Copy of IEC certificate issued by DGFT
3. Bank Certificate that is duly signed by the concerned authorities.
4. Bank Statement of last 2 months
5. Cancelled Cheque
6. For Manufacturer Exporter
7. Certificate of incorporation/Partnership deed
8. Board resolution for authorization
9. Exporter should furnish a self-attested copy of certificate issued by the relevant certification agencies for the products given below:

Steps to Register as a Member:

• Visit the APEDA website and click on the "Register as Member" link on the homepage.
• Enter your IE CODE, email ID, and mobile number, then submit. Your details will be verified with the DGFT website.
• You will receive an OTP (One Time Password) on your email and mobile number for confirmation. Enter the OTP on the verification screen to verify your email and mobile number, then click Proceed for application.
• Complete the online application form and upload the necessary documents. Make sure all information is accurate.
• On payment of the Registration fee, application number will be generated
• APEDA will review your details and issue a Registration cum membership certificate (RCMC) within 10-15 days.
• In case of any shortcoming observed in the application the exporter will be required to resubmit the document online.
• Grant of a Registration Certificate

Upon receiving an application for a registration certificate, the Secretary or an authorized officer may conduct an inquiry as deemed necessary and decide to either grant or refuse the registration.

1. If Registration is Refused: The reasons for refusal will be recorded in writing, a copy of the refusal reasons will be provided to the applicant & the fees paid by the applicant will be refunded.
2. If Registration is Granted: The Secretary or authorized officer will issue a certificate indicating the applicant's status as a Merchant or Manufacturer Exporter.

APEDA Registration Fee

1. Access to Financial Assistance: APEDA provides various Financial Assistance schemes for the promotion & development of products monitored by APEDA to the member exporters.
2. Guidance and Compliance: APEDA sets various rules, regulations, and guidelines specific to various products and their export requirements for different countries.
3. Brand Enhancement: Individual/entity dealing with the export of schedule product is mandatorily required to be registered with APEDA. Registration with APEDA helps in brand promotion through advertisements, packaging development, database updates, and surveys.
4. Training Programs: Registered members can participate in training programs organized by APEDA, bringing continuous and significant business improvements.

1. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEMES: The scheme aims to facilitate the export of agricultural products by providing financial assistance to exporters. It achieves its objective through the following:
   • Understanding the several challenges faced by Agri-exporters.
   • Acknowledging the need for assistance to successfully navigate through these challenges and achieve the objectives of APEDA.
   • Financial assistance is provided in three broad areas, namely: Development of Export Infrastructure, Quality Development and Market Development
2. FOOD PROCESSING FUND (FPF) OF NABARD: This scheme aims to provide direct term loans at affordable rates of interest to Designated Food Parks (DFPs) and food processing units in the DFPs. The objectives of the Fund are
   • To provide impetus to the development of the food processing sector on a cluster basis in the country
   • To reduce wastage of agricultural produce
   • To create employment opportunities, especially in rural areas.

1. MEGA FOOD PARK SCHEME OF MOFPI: This Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors, and retailers to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers income and creating employment opportunities, particularly in rural sector.
2. KISHAN SAMPADA YOJNA: PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana is a comprehensive initiative aimed at developing modern infrastructure and efficient supply chain management from farms to retail outlets. It aims to boost the food processing sector, provide better returns to farmers, double their income, create rural employment, reduce agricultural waste, increase processing levels, and enhance the export of processed foods.
3. PRODUCTION LINKED INCENTIVE SCHEME FOR FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY (PLISFPI): This scheme aims to support the creation of global food manufacturing champions commensurate with India’s natural resource endowment and support Indian brands of food products in the international markets

The Secretary or an authorized officer may cancel a registration certificate if they determine that:

• The certificate was obtained by providing incorrect information.
• The certificate holder has violated any rules or conditions of the certificate.
• The registered exporter fails to export any scheduled products within twelve consecutive months.
• The certificate holder becomes disqualified to continue as a registered exporter with APEDA.
• Before cancelling the certificate, the Secretary or authorized officer will provide the certificate holder a reasonable opportunity to present their objections. The decision to cancel the certificate will be communicated to the certificate holder in writing.

Appeal

Any person aggrieved by 

1. an order of refusal or 
2. an order of cancellation 

may appeal to the Chairman of the Authority within thirty days from the date of receiving the order of refusal or cancellation. 

The Chairman may then affirm, modify, or overturn the order.