Market Access Initiative

(MAI)
Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme is an Export Promotion Scheme envisaged to act as a catalyst to promote Indias export on a sustained basis. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has introduced the MAI in April 2001
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 It is introduced with the idea that the Government shall assist the industry in R&D, market research, specific market and product studies and direct market promotion activities through media advertising and buyer-seller meets.

Special Economic Zone

The Government of India had announced an SEZ scheme in April 2000 to promote Indias exports. Four Export Processing Zones(EPZ), namely Noida(UP), Falta(West Bengal), Chennai(Tamilnadu), and Viskhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) have been converted into SEZs from 1 January 2003

 The Scheme envisages a simple and transparent policy and procedure for promotion of exports with minimum paper work. The most important feature of the Scheme is that the SEZ area is considered essentially as a foreign territory for the purposes of trade operations, duties & tariffs.
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 Therefore, goods supplied to SEZ from the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) are treated as deemed exports and goods brought from SEZ to DTA are treated as imported goods.

 As per the EXIM Policy, a SEZ can be set up for the manufacture of goods and rendering of services, production, processing, assembling, trading, repair, remaking, reconditioning, reengineering including making of gold/silver/platinum jewellery and articles thereof.
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Export Financing
Financial assistance extended by the banks to exporters at pre-shipment and post shipment stages. The pre-shipment finance is provided for working capital for the purchase of raw material, processing, packing, transportation, warehousing, etc, of the goods meant for export

 Post-shipment finance is generally provided in order to bridge the gap between the shipping of goods and the realization of proceeds. For raising funds in India, investors can raise a substantial portion of the project cost in India through debt and equity instruments.

 Long term financing options include leasing, hire purchase, deferred payment guarantee etc. Short-term finances for working capital requirements are available from commercial banks and through instruments such as fixed deposits, inter-corporate deposits and commercial paper.

Town of Export Excellence

A number of towns in specific geographical locations have emerged as dynamic industrial clusters contributing handsomely to Indias exports. Selected towns producing goods of Rs. 1000 crore or more will be notified as Towns of Exports Excellence on the basis of potential for growth in exports.
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 However for the Towns of Export Excellence in the Handloom, Handicraft, Agriculture and Fisheries sector, the threshold limit would be Rs. 250 crores. Eleven towns in the country have emerged as dynamic industrial clusters, contributing significantly to Indias exports.

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These eleven towns are:

(1) Tirupur, Tamil Nadu hosiery; (2) Ludhiana, Punjab woollen knitwear; (3) Panipat, Haryana woollen blanket; (4) Kanoor, Kerala handlooms; (5) Karur, Tamil Nadu handlooms; (6) Madurai, Tamil Nadu handlooms; (7) AEKK (Aroor, Ezhupunna, Kodanthuruthu & Kuthiathodu), Kerala seafood; (8) Jodhpur, Rajasthan handicraft; (9) Kekhra, Uttar Pradesh handlooms; (10) Dewas, Madhya Pradesh pharmaceuticals; and (11) Alleppey, Kerala coir products.
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Query ???

Thanks!!!