Government sets aside ₹497 crore as RELIEF for West Asia exporters

The Indian government has approved an intervention called RELIEF – Resilience & Logistics Intervention for Export Facilitation - under the Export Promotion Mission. The intervention is aimed at supporting Indian exporters “affected by extraordinary freight escalation, heightened insurance premia and war-related export risks arising from disruptions in the Gulf and wider West Asia maritime corridor”.

The RELIEF program supports exporters sending goods to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran and Yemen, under three situations.

Exporters who already have ECGC credit insurance will get up to 100 per cent risk coverage (extra protection) for shipments made between 14 February-15 March 2026, at no extra cost.

Second, exporters planning shipments between 16 March-15 June have been encouraged to take ECGC insurance, with government support giving them up to 95 per cent risk coverage. This is to help exporters continue shipping goods even if there are delays or uncertainties.

Third, small exporters (MSMEs) who do not have ECGC insurance but face high shipping and insurance costs can get up to 50 per cent reimbursement, with a maximum limit of ₹50 lakh per exporter.

The scheme has a total budget of ₹497 crore.