New Delhi, 16 January (H.S.): The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) announced a landmark policy reform on Friday to fortify India's e-commerce sector, extending key export promotion schemes—RoDTEP, RoSCTL, and Duty Drawback—to goods dispatched via postal routes effective January 15, 2026.

The Finance Ministry stated that these incentives, previously limited to formal channels, now encompass electronically declared postal exports, enabling small exporters—particularly MSMEs in tier-2/3 cities and remote regions—to claim duty refunds on raw materials used in exported products, leveling the playing field in global trade.

RoDTEP provides rebates on embedded duties/taxes, RoSCTL covers state/central levies, and Duty Drawback refunds customs/excise (or equivalents) paid on inputs; the measures, operationalized through amendments to Postal Exports (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Regulations, 2022, alongside 28 notified Foreign Post Offices under Customs Act Section 7, aim to foster inclusive cross-border e-commerce growth.

Complementing prior initiatives like automated IGST refunds for postal exports (September 2024) and Postal Imports Regulations, 2025, the expansion—bridging postal and courier modes—positions India to amplify low-value exports via accessible, digitized postal networks.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar