About Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme:
- It is an export promotion scheme envisaged to act as a catalyst to promote India’s exports on a sustained basis.
- The scheme is formulated on focus product-focus country approach to evolve specific markets and specific products through market studies and surveys.
- Assistance would be provided to Export Promotion Organizations/Trade Promotion Organizations/National Level Institutions/ Research Institutions/Universities/Laboratories, Exporters etc., for the enhancement of exports through accessing new markets or through increasing their share in the existing markets.
- Under the Scheme, the level of assistance for each eligible activities has been fixed.
- The following activities will be eligible for financial assistance under the Scheme:
- Marketing Projects Abroad
- Capacity Building
- Support for Statutory Compliances
- Studies
- Project Development
- Developing Foreign Trade Facilitation web Portal
- To support Cottage and handicrafts units
- Eligible Agencies: Departments of Central Government and Organisation of Central/State Governments including
- Indian Missions abroad
- Export Promotion Councils
- Registered trade promotion Organisation
- Commodity Boards
- Apex Trade Bodies recognized under Foreign Trade Policy of Govt of India
- Recognized Industrial & Artisan Clusters
- Individual Exporters (only for statutory compliance etc.)
- National Level Institutions (e.g. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), National Institute of design (NIDs), NIFT etc.)/ Research Institutions/Universities/ Recognized laboratories, etc.
- The funding for each project will be on cost-sharing basis with the sharing pattern ranging from 65% to 50% at the minimum.
- It is administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
