Resources

The ExportCRM blog

Practical, in-depth guides for Indian export houses — from choosing export software to tracking RODTEP claims and knowing your true per-order profit.

Featured13 min read

India's Export Hubs Index 2026: 48 Clusters and How Each One Works

India does not export as one country — it exports as several dozen clusters, each with its own product, its own rhythm and its own paperwork. This index maps 48 of them and explains why the operational burden differs so sharply between one hub and the next.

Read the guide
India export hubs index 2026: 48 clusters across 20+ states with principal product, ports and paperwork
Best export management software in India: enquiry → order → documents → claim flow on one platform
9 min read

Best Export Management Software in India: 2026 Buyer's Guide

What export management software is, how purpose-built export CRM/ERP compares with generic CRMs, accounting software and Excel, and a checklist to choose the right system for an Indian export house.

Read guide
Export CRM vs generic CRM comparison: generic CRM stops at leads and deals; export CRM adds export orders, production pipeline, documents and RoDTEP tracking
8 min read

Export CRM vs Generic CRM: Why Exporters Need a Purpose-Built System

Salesforce, Zoho and HubSpot weren't built for export houses. Here's the gap a generic CRM leaves — and what an export CRM fills.

Read guide
Export production pipeline timeline from order confirmed through sourcing, production, quality check and packing to dispatch
8 min read

The 12-Stage Export Production Pipeline, Explained

From order confirmation to delivery — how a structured production pipeline keeps export orders on time and visible to your whole team.

Read guide
Export documents list: proforma and commercial invoice, packing list, shipping bill, bill of lading, certificate of origin, value and SCOMET declarations
8 min read

Export Documents List: 9 Documents Every Indian Exporter Needs

The documents required for export from India, what each one is for, who checks it and the fields that must agree across the set — plus how to generate them without re-typing.

Read guide
RoDTEP, RoSCTL and duty drawback tracked as receivables against a shipping bill in ExportCRM
9 min read

RODTEP, ROSCTL & Duty Drawback: Tracking Government Claims Without Losing Money

Government benefit schemes are real margin. Here's how to track RODTEP, ROSCTL and Duty Drawback receivables per order so none slip away.

Read guide
Multi-currency invoicing: 22 currencies, DGFT exchange rates refreshed every six hours
7 min read

Multi-Currency Invoicing & DGFT Exchange Rates for Exporters

Invoice buyers in their currency, value shipments with official DGFT rates, and keep every figure accurate — automatically.

Read guide
Per-order profit ledger: invoice value less goods, freight and overheads plus incentives equals realised margin
8 min read

Per-Order Profit Analytics: Know Your Margin on Every Export Order

Revenue hides losses. Per-order profitability shows which orders, customers and reps actually make you money.

Read guide
Spreadsheets vs export ERP: order sheets, Word documents and claim notebooks replaced by one order record
8 min read

From Spreadsheets to Export ERP: Digitising Your Back Office

A practical migration path from spreadsheets and WhatsApp to one export platform — without disrupting live orders.

Read guide
Indian exporter generating a RoDTEP duty credit scrip on the ICEGATE portal — ExportCRM
9 min read

How to Claim RoDTEP in India: A Step-by-Step Guide for Exporters (2026)

RoDTEP refunds the embedded taxes and duties your export already paid. This guide shows Indian exporters exactly how to claim it — from shipping bill declaration to scrip utilisation — without leaving money on the table.

Read guide
Indian exporter reconciling a duty drawback cash refund against shipping bills — ExportCRM
9 min read

How to Claim Duty Drawback in India: The Exporter's Complete Guide (2026)

Duty Drawback refunds the customs duties embedded in your exported goods. Here's how Indian exporters claim it correctly — All Industry Rate vs Brand Rate, shipping bill declaration, and the bank-account and documentation steps that get you paid.

Read guide
Imported capital machinery installed in an Indian export factory under the EPCG scheme — ExportCRM
9 min read

EPCG Scheme Explained: How Indian Exporters Import Capital Goods Duty-Free (2026)

The EPCG scheme lets you import machinery and capital goods at zero customs duty — in exchange for an export obligation. This guide explains how the EPCG licence works, the export obligation maths, and how to stay compliant.

Read guide
Duty-free imported raw materials entering an Indian export manufacturing line under Advance Authorisation — ExportCRM
9 min read

Advance Authorisation Scheme: Duty-Free Inputs for Indian Exporters Explained (2026)

The Advance Authorisation scheme lets you import the inputs for your export product without paying duty, against an export obligation. This guide covers how it works, input-output norms, the export obligation, and how it differs from drawback and EPCG.

Read guide
IGST refund on exports: LUT route vs pay-and-refund route compared side by side
9 min read

IGST Refund on Exports: How Indian Exporters Claim It (2026)

Exports are zero-rated under GST, so the IGST you pay on an export shipment comes back to you. This guide explains the two refund routes, the documents involved, why refunds get stuck, and how to keep the money flowing.

Read guide
How an eBRC is generated: buyer pays, bank pushes the IRM to DGFT, exporter matches it to the shipping bill, eBRC issued
8 min read

eBRC Full Form, Meaning and Status Check: The DGFT Process for Exporters (2026)

The eBRC is the proof that your export payment actually came in — and it underpins your incentive claims and DGFT standing. This guide explains what it is, how it is generated, and why exporters must track realisation shipment by shipment.

Read guide
How a letter of credit works: buyer opens LC, advising bank confirms, exporter ships and presents documents, bank pays
9 min read

Letter of Credit Explained for Indian Exporters (2026 Guide)

A letter of credit lets you ship to a new buyer with the bank's promise to pay standing behind them. This guide explains how an LC works, the documents it demands, why LCs get rejected on discrepancies, and how to present a clean set.

Read guide
Preferential vs non-preferential certificate of origin: who needs each, who issues it and what it proves
8 min read

Certificate of Origin for Exports: Types, Process and Uses (2026)

A certificate of origin proves where your goods were made — and under a trade agreement it can cut the duty your buyer pays. This guide explains preferential vs non-preferential COOs, how to obtain them, and where they fit in your export documents.

Read guide
Export CRM pricing checklist: plans, implementation, customisation, training and total cost of ownership
8 min read

Export CRM Pricing: What Indian Exporters Should Expect to Pay (2026)

What does export CRM and management software actually cost — and what should be included? This guide breaks down pricing models, the hidden costs to watch for, and how to judge value beyond the monthly fee.

Read guide
Tally keeps the ledger, GST and statutory accounts; the export ERP adds enquiries, orders, production, documents and claims
8 min read

Moving from Tally to an Export ERP: A Practical Guide (2026)

Tally is excellent accounting software — but it was never built to run an export business end to end. This guide explains where exporters outgrow Tally, how the two fit together, and how to migrate to an export ERP without disruption.

Read guide
Incoterms 2020 scale from EXW to DDP showing the seller's cost and risk increasing
9 min read

Incoterms 2020 Explained for Indian Exporters (2026 Guide)

Incoterms decide who pays for freight and insurance, and exactly where risk passes from you to the buyer. This guide explains the 11 Incoterms 2020 rules in plain language and shows how the term you quote changes your price and your exposure.

Read guide
Export payment terms from advance payment to open account, with DP, DA and letters of credit in between, ordered by risk to the exporter
9 min read

Export Payment Terms Explained: Advance, LC, DA/DP and Open Account (2026)

The payment term you agree decides how much risk you carry and how fast you get paid. This guide explains the main export payment methods, the risk-versus-competitiveness trade-off, and how to track receivables so nothing slips.

Read guide
New Indian exporter planning the steps to start an export business — ExportCRM
11 min read

How to Start an Export Business in India (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

Starting an export business in India is a sequence of concrete steps — PAN, a current account, IEC, GST and LUT, RCMC, a product and an HS code, a buyer, and a first shipping bill. This guide walks the sequence in order and shows what each step actually costs you in time.

Read guide
Exporter completing IEC code registration on the DGFT portal — ExportCRM
10 min read

IEC Code Registration in India: Complete 2026 Guide for Exporters

The Importer-Exporter Code is the one registration you cannot export without. This guide covers what an IEC is, how to apply on the DGFT portal, the documents you need, the annual updation rule that deactivates codes, and how to modify, surrender or fix one.

Read guide
Exporter applying for RCMC registration with an Export Promotion Council — ExportCRM
9 min read

RCMC Registration for Indian Exporters: Complete 2026 Guide

An RCMC is what makes an exporter eligible for most Foreign Trade Policy benefits. This guide explains what an RCMC is, which Export Promotion Council issues yours, how to apply on the DGFT common portal, and what the certificate actually gets you.

Read guide
Exporter classifying a product under the ITC(HS) tariff — ExportCRM
10 min read

HS Code Classification for Indian Exporters: A Practical 2026 Guide

Your HS code decides your duty, your incentive rate, your licensing status and your paperwork. This guide explains how the eight-digit ITC(HS) code is built, how to classify a product correctly, and what happens when you get it wrong.

Read guide
Exporter reviewing a shipping bill filed on ICEGATE before loading — ExportCRM
10 min read

Shipping Bill & ICEGATE Filing: The Exporter's 2026 Guide

The shipping bill is the document that turns a consignment into an export. This guide explains the types of shipping bill, how filing works on ICEGATE, what a Let Export Order means, and why the shipping bill drives your GST refund and RoDTEP claim.

Read guide
Exporter preparing an AEO certification application with process documentation — ExportCRM
9 min read

AEO Certification in India: Tiers, Benefits, Eligibility & Process

Authorised Economic Operator status is India's trusted-trader programme, offering faster clearance, deferred duty and lower examination rates. This guide explains the AEO tiers, what the application actually demands, and which exporters genuinely benefit.

Read guide
Indian steel exporter compiling embedded-emissions data for an EU buyer under CBAM — ExportCRM
10 min read

EU CBAM and Indian Exporters: What You Actually Have to Do

The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism prices the carbon embedded in imported steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen and electricity. The legal obligation sits with the EU importer — but the data they need comes from you. Here is what that means in practice.

Read guide
Indian coffee exporter mapping grower plots for EUDR due diligence — ExportCRM
10 min read

EUDR Compliance for Indian Exporters: Coffee, Rubber, Wood & Leather

The EU Deforestation Regulation requires proof that commodities were not produced on land deforested after 2020 — backed by plot-level geolocation. For Indian coffee, rubber, wood and leather exporters, that changes what a buyer needs from you.

Read guide
Indian exporter reviewing tariff preference and origin rules for a UK shipment — ExportCRM
10 min read

The India–UK Trade Agreement: What Exporters Need to Get Right

A trade agreement only pays if your goods actually qualify. This guide explains how the India–UK CETA is expected to work for exporters — which sectors gain, how rules of origin decide eligibility, and what proof of origin you must be able to produce.

Read guide
Export order-to-cash cycle: order → ship → present documents → paid, with the handoffs where days are lost
10 min read

The Export Order-to-Cash Cycle: Where Indian Exporters Lose Days

Between a confirmed purchase order and money in your bank account sit around a dozen handoffs. Most exporters can name the long ones and miss the expensive ones. This guide walks the full cycle and shows where the days actually disappear.

Read guide
DGFT compliance calendar: annual, per-consignment and per-authorisation obligations and claim windows
11 min read

The Exporter's DGFT Compliance Calendar (2026 Edition)

Export compliance is not one deadline — it is a set of recurring obligations with different clocks. This calendar lays out what recurs, roughly when, and what happens if it slips, so nothing expires while you are busy shipping.

Read guide
The five fields behind most shipping bill queries: HS code, declared value, quantity and weight, consignee details and scheme declaration
10 min read

Shipping Bill Query: Common Reasons and How to Reply on ICEGATE

A shipping bill query stops a consignment at the worst possible moment. Most queries trace back to a small set of avoidable inconsistencies between documents — here is the taxonomy, and which field causes each one.

Read guide
Export documentation desk handoffs: sales → documentation desk → CHA → bank
10 min read

How Export Houses Staff the Documentation Desk

The documentation desk is where an export house's paperwork either holds together or does not. This is about how the role is actually structured — what it owns, where it sits, and the handoffs that decide whether it works.

Read guide
Freight cost per CBM worked example: carton volume × cartons × LCL rate = ocean freight, then freight per unit
10 min read

Freight Cost Per CBM: How to Price an Export Quotation

Volume, not weight, usually decides what you pay for freight — and if you quote before you know your CBM, you are guessing at a number that can swallow the margin. Here is how to work it out properly.

Read guide
Export CRM vs export ERP: the CRM covers enquiries, quotations and buyers; the ERP adds production, documents, invoicing and incentives
10 min read

Export ERP or Export CRM: Which One Does Your Business Need?

These are not competing products so much as different centres of gravity — one organises the customer relationship, the other organises the operation. Choosing badly usually means buying the right software at the wrong time.

Read guide

One platform to run your whole export business

Stop juggling spreadsheets, WhatsApp and disconnected tools. See how ExportCRM brings it all together.