NPOP certification makes your product organic. It does not make you an exporter. The business itself must be registered with DGFT and APEDA — and a January 2025 DGFT notice ties those registrations to NPOP.
The short version
- IEC from DGFT — and update it every year between 1 April and 30 June.
- RCMC from APEDA, applied for on the DGFT portal since 17 July 2023.
- NPOP certification from a NAB-accredited body.
- DGFT Public Notice 39/2024-25: no organic export without an NPOP transaction certificate.
The Registration Order
IEC first, then RCMC. NPOP certification runs in parallel and meets them at the first shipment.
with PAN"] --> B["IEC from DGFT"] B --> C["RCMC from APEDA
(via DGFT portal)"] A --> D["NPOP certification"] C --> E["First shipment"] D --> E E --> F["Export TC on TraceNet"]
Step 1: The IEC
A PAN-based export identity from DGFT, which must be updated online every year.
This interactive tool needs JavaScript. The rules it applies are set out in the text of this episode.
An IEC not updated between April and June is deactivated, and a deactivated IEC stops exports until it is updated.
Step 2: RCMC From APEDA
Organic food is an APEDA scheduled product, so exporters register with APEDA — through the DGFT portal, after getting the IEC.
Where
On the DGFT portal, since 17 July 2023.
Prerequisite
An active IEC.
Validity
Issued for five financial years.
Fee
Not published on APEDA's RCMC page — confirm on the DGFT portal when applying.
The Notice That Ties Them Together
DGFT Public Notice 39/2024-25 (5 January 2025) allows organic export only with NPOP compliance and a NAB-accredited TC.
- NPOP complianceProduced, processed, packed and labelled to NPOP standards.
- A transaction certificateIssued by a certification body accredited by the NAB.
- In forceThe 8th Edition applied 180 days after the notice; earlier notices of 2014 and 2015 superseded.
Did you know?Organic textiles are the exception. They sit outside NPOP's accreditation categories, and DGFT has clarified that the NAB transaction certificate requirement does not apply to them.
Don't Leave These to the End
Your registration checklist
- Registered legal entity with PAN
- IEC issued by DGFT
- IEC updated this year (April–June)
- RCMC from APEDA via the DGFT portal
- NPOP scope certificate from a NAB-accredited body
- The same legal entity on the IEC, RCMC and scope certificate
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see whether you are right, and why.
When must the IEC be updated each year?
- January
- Between 1 April and 30 June
- Only when details change
Every year between April and June, even if nothing changed.
Where do you apply for an APEDA RCMC?
- APEDA's old portal
- The DGFT portal
- TraceNet
Since 17 July 2023, through the DGFT portal.
Remember these things
- IEC first; update it every April–June.
- RCMC from APEDA via DGFT.
- No organic export without an NPOP TC.
See also APEDA Tracenet company registration. KrushiFlow validates these fields and submits farmer records to the portal in bulk. Back to the series map.