ECGC export credit insurance for small and MSME exporters ECGC

What you get

• Micro Exporter Policy for exporters with expected export turnover up to ₹1 crore a year in manufacturing, services or trade, with 90% cover, a maximum loss limit of ₹15 lakh and a single loss limit of ₹5 lakh
• Small Exporters Policy for exporters with expected export turnover up to ₹5 crore a year, covering commercial and political risks for 12 months, with a shorter claim waiting period and a lower minimum premium than the standard policy
• Covers buyer insolvency, a buyer not paying or refusing goods, failure of the bank that opened a letter of credit, and political risks such as war, import bans or payment blocks in the buyer's country
• ECGC also insures banks against losses on export loans. From 1 October 2025 it gives eligible banks 90% cover on export credit to small exporters at no extra cost, which helps them lend
• RELIEF, approved on 19 March 2026 for shipments to or through the Gulf and West Asia, gives ECGC policy holders Government-backed cover of up to 95% for shipments from 16 March to 15 June 2026
• Under RELIEF, MSME exporters without ECGC cover for shipments from 14 February to 15 March 2026 can get up to 50% of extra freight and insurance costs back, up to ₹50 lakh each

Who can apply

• Open to businesses in manufacturing, services, trading, food processing, farming, fisheries and livestock and handicrafts.
• Micro, small and medium enterprises.
• The Micro Exporter Policy and Small Exporters Policy go by expected export turnover, not Udyam status
• Shipments must be declared every month
• Overdue payments must be reported to ECGC within the time set in the policy
• Buyers placed on ECGC's specific approval list need ECGC approval before cover applies

How to apply

1. Download the proposal form from the ECGC product page
2. Send it to the nearest ECGC branch or email policy@ecgc.in
3. Get a credit limit approved on each overseas buyer
4. Declare shipments every month and report late payments on time

In person, ECGC Kochi or Kollam branch

In Kerala, ECGC Kochi branch, HDFC House, 2nd Floor, Ravipuram Junction, M.G. Road, Ernakulam, Kochi 682015, phone 0484 2359437, kochi@ecgc.in. ECGC Kollam branch, 2nd Floor, Krishnajyothi Business Centre, Kadappakkada, Kollam 691008, phone 0474 2746715, kollam@ecgc.in.

Figures you may see elsewhere

The 2025 PIB year end review says ECGC gives banks 90% cover on export credit up to ₹50 crore from 1 October 2025. Another PIB release gives the limit as ₹80 crore for small exporter accounts. Ask ECGC or your bank which limit applies now.

Worth knowing

NIRVIK was announced in 2019 and again in Budget 2020-21 as an enhanced export credit insurance scheme for banks, raising cover from about 60% to 90%. No ECGC product of that name is listed now. The higher cover for small exporters' loans runs through ECGC's whole turnover cover for banks, enhanced in 2022 and again in 2025.

Where we found this

• ECGC, Small Exporters Policy (external site) Official
• ECGC home page and product list, including the Micro Exporter Policy under the SME section (external site) Official
• ECGC branch offices, Kochi and Kollam (external site) Official
• PIB release of 19 March 2026 on RELIEF, hosted by ECGC (external site) Official announcement
• PIB, 2025 Year End Review, Department of Commerce, ECGC cover for banks (external site) Official announcement
• PIB, ECGC introduces NIRVIK, 2019 (external site) Official announcement

An independent guide by The Company of Four, not a government website. Schemes change often, so check every detail on the official website before you apply. Links marked ↗ open external websites that we do not run, and we are not responsible for their content. Seen something out of date? Tell us and we will look into it.

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