RCMC registration: which council, fees, documents and steps

What the Foreign Trade Policy says about the RCMC, how to pick your council from Appendix 2T, what joining and renewing cost, the online steps, and how to use membership to find partners.

By Saurabh Khatri · Published 1 November 2026 · 19 min read

The quick answer

RCMC registration means becoming a member of the export promotion council (or commodity board or development authority) that looks after your main export product, and getting its Registration-cum-Membership Certificate. You apply online on the DGFT portal under Services → e-RCMC, with an active IEC, an updated IEC profile and a digital signature or Aadhaar e-sign. The certificate is valid for five financial years. Membership fees, though, are set by each council and most of them ask for a yearly subscription too: the plastics council charges ₹13,570 including GST to join, and the handicrafts council's 2026-27 renewal is ₹5,900 or ₹8,850.

This guide is for first-time exporters, merchant exporters and the CAs and consultants who file for them. It explains what the Foreign Trade Policy actually says about the RCMC, how to work out which of the councils in DGFT's Appendix 2T is yours, what joining costs at two councils whose 2026-27 fee circulars we read, the documents to keep ready, the online application step by step, what to do after you get it, and how to use council membership and Starleads' counts of exporters, importers and forwarders to find partners. Everything about the rules comes from DGFT's Foreign Trade Policy 2023, its Handbook of Procedures (the July 2026 version of Chapter 2) and the councils' own circulars, all read on 1 November 2026.

What an RCMC is, and when you need one

DGFT's e-RCMC page describes the Registration-cum-Membership Certificate as "a certificate that validates an exporter dealing with products registered with an agency / organization that are authorised by the Indian Government". It is issued by the export promotion councils (EPCs), commodity boards, development authorities or other competent authorities, which act as the "Registering Authority". The same page says India has 26 export promotion councils and 9 commodity boards that issue RCMCs.

The legal basis sits in two places:

Foreign Trade Policy 2023, paragraph 2.57(a) (Chapter 2 PDF on DGFT): any person applying for an authorisation to import or export under the Policy (except items listed as "Restricted" in ITC (HS)), or applying for any other benefit or concession under the Policy, must provide the RCMC granted by the competent authority, unless the Policy specifically exempts them.
Paragraph 2.57(b): the Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES) from the Spices Board and the Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Coir and Coir products from the Coir Board count as an RCMC for the Policy's purposes. A spice or coir exporter does not need a second certificate from another council for this.
Handbook of Procedures, paragraphs 2.77 to 2.85 (Chapter 2 PDF, July 2026 version): how you apply (form ANF 2C), which council you go to, the five-year validity, reporting changes, de-registration and appeals. The details are below.

So is RCMC mandatory for export? Read paragraph 2.57 carefully: it ties the RCMC to authorisations and to benefits or concessions under the Foreign Trade Policy, not to every shipping bill. The document that lets you import or export at all is the IEC (our IEC registration guide covers it). In practice, most exporters who plan to use any Policy scheme, apply for an authorisation, or join council trade fairs and buyer-seller meets get an RCMC early, so it is in place before the first application that needs it. If your product is restricted, needs a special licence, or you are unsure whether a scheme you want needs an RCMC, check the specific scheme's paragraph or ask your CA or customs broker before you ship.

Two more points from the Handbook that the pages ranking for this search tend to skip:

Prospective exporters can join too. Paragraph 2.79(b) says prospective or potential exporters may register and become an associate member of an EPC. You do not need an export order in hand.
Manufacturer or merchant. Paragraph 2.79(a) says that if you want to be registered as a manufacturer exporter, you must furnish evidence of manufacturing. The plastics council, for example, asks every manufacturer exporter to upload an IEM certificate or Udyam certificate with its annexure.

Which council issues your RCMC

This is the decision most first-time applicants get wrong. Handbook paragraph 2.80 sets the rules:

Main line of business. You declare your main line of business in the application and get the RCMC from the council "concerned with the product of his main line of business".
FIEO as the fallback. If no council or commodity board covers your product, the RCMC comes from the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). Multi-product exporters not registered with any EPC, whose main line is not yet settled, may also take their RCMC from FIEO.
North Eastern States. Multi-product exporters with their head or registered office in the North Eastern States may get the RCMC from the Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council, except for products looked after by APEDA, the Spices Board and the Tea Board.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. For handicraft and handloom exporters from these Union Territories, the Director, Handicrafts, Government of Jammu and Kashmir is authorised to issue the RCMC.

The list of Registering Authorities is Appendix 2T. The copy on DGFT's site dated 6 February 2023 (Appendix 2T PDF) has 37 numbered entries, from the Apparel Export Promotion Council to the Mobile and Electronic Devices Export Promotion Council; DGFT has amended it by public notice since, so check the latest version before you choose. Here is how some common products map to councils, taken from the product columns of that copy:

If your main export is…	Registering Authority in Appendix 2T	Note from the appendix
Readymade garments	Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC)	Head office in Gurugram
Dyes, basic organic and inorganic chemicals, agro chemicals, cosmetics and toiletries, essential oils, castor oil	Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics EPC (CHEMEXCIL)	Mumbai
Handicrafts: art metal ware, wood ware, hand-printed textiles, embroidered goods, artistic handmade jewellery, stone artware, agarbatti and attars	Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH)	New Delhi; handmade carpets go to the Carpet EPC instead
Leather and leather products	Council for Leather Exports	Chennai
Machinery, electrical and home appliances, railway rolling stock, builders' hardware, project exports	EEPC India	Engineering goods
Electronics hardware, components, computer software, IT/ITeS, BPO/KPO	Electronics & Computer Software EPC (ESC)	New Delhi
Smartphones, smart watches, mobile phone parts and other listed electronic devices	Mobile and Electronic Devices EPC (MEDEPC)	Added by public notice in January 2023
Bulk drugs, formulations, herbal, Ayurvedic, Unani and homeopathic medicines, diagnostics, surgicals	Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil)	Hyderabad
All plastics products	Plastics Export Promotion Council (PLEXCONCIL)	Mumbai
Paints, plywood, paper and board, granite and natural stones, processed minerals, rubber goods and other listed products	CAPEXIL	Covers a long mixed list
Services: accounting, advertising, architecture, consultancy, education, healthcare, legal, hotel and tourism and others	Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC)	Gurugram
Fruits, vegetables, processed foods, cereals, groundnuts, pickles, guar gum, floriculture, cashew kernels and other scheduled products	APEDA	Uses the DGFT e-RCMC route since 17 July 2023
Products and services of EOUs and SEZ units (except spices)	EPC for EOUs & SEZ Units (EPCES)	Spice units must register with the Spices Board
Spices; coir and coir products	Spices Board; Coir Board	Their certificates (CRES and the coir certificate) count as an RCMC
Anything not covered above, or several products with no settled main line	FIEO	Handbook paragraph 2.80(b)

APEDA's own RCMC page confirms the change in route: following DGFT Trade Notice 35/2021-22, APEDA started issuing RCMCs through the DGFT portal from 17 July 2023, and exporters apply for APEDA-scheduled products through the e-RCMC link "after getting IEC Code from DGFT".

A practical way to decide: take the ITC (HS) codes of the products that make up most of your export turnover (or that you expect to), find which council's product list covers them, and choose that one. If your exports split across very different products, FIEO is the route the Handbook gives. Choose by product, not by which council a consultant happens to work with.

What joining costs: RCMC versus the yearly membership

Here is the point that confuses most applicants. The RCMC is valid for five years (Handbook paragraph 2.81: from 1 April of the licensing year in which it was issued, for five years ending 31 March, unless otherwise specified). But the RCMC is a membership certificate, and councils charge membership fees under their own articles, usually every year. There is no single government fee for an RCMC: each council publishes its own. Here are two councils' 2026-27 fees, from their own circulars:

Council and category	Fee before GST	With 18% GST	Source
PLEXCONCIL: new membership, merchant or manufacturer	₹6,000 subscription + ₹5,000 entrance fee + ₹500 administration = ₹11,500	₹13,570	PLEXCONCIL fee structure
PLEXCONCIL renewal, FY 2026-27: average turnover or plastic exports up to ₹2.5 crore	₹8,000 + ₹200 = ₹8,200	₹9,676	Same circular
PLEXCONCIL renewal: above ₹2.5 crore up to ₹10 crore	₹14,200	₹16,756	Same circular
PLEXCONCIL renewal: above ₹10 crore up to ₹50 crore	₹20,200	₹23,836	Same circular
PLEXCONCIL renewal: above ₹500 crore	₹60,200	₹71,036	Same circular
EPCH renewal 2026-27: associate member (average handicraft exports under ₹10 lakh in the two previous years)	₹5,000	₹5,900	EPCH circular of 28 March 2026
EPCH renewal 2026-27: ordinary member (₹10 lakh or more)	₹7,500	₹8,850	Same circular

What the table tells you:

Fees rise with size at some councils. PLEXCONCIL's renewal fee depends on a CA-certified average for the past three financial years: overall sales (local plus export, plastic and non-plastic) for a manufacturer, and average export of plastic products for a merchant. Budget for the CA certificate as well as the fee.
Category depends on export size at others. EPCH revised its membership categories with effect from 1 November 2025: below ₹10 lakh average annual handicraft exports you are an associate member, above it an ordinary member.
Renewal happens on the DGFT portal too. EPCH's circular says renewal is mandatory through the DGFT portal using the user ID and password registered with DGFT, and warns members to start a fresh renewal application rather than reuse an old draft.
Consultants' prices are not council fees. A package price from a filing service is its service charge; the council's own fee is paid on top.

Because fees change and differ by council, open your council's current circular before you apply. If a council's site does not show a fee, its membership desk will tell you; councils publish their regional office phone numbers and email addresses for this.

Documents and details to keep ready

DGFT's e-RCMC page lists the prerequisites: an active IEC, an updated IEC profile, and a linked digital signature token or Aadhaar e-signature to submit the application. Councils then ask for their own supporting papers. Collect these before you start, so the application does not sit in draft:

IEC and IEC profile. The IEC must be active and the profile on DGFT must show your current address, partners or directors and bank account. Update it first; the RCMC form pulls from it.
Digital signature or Aadhaar e-sign of the person signing for the firm.
Constitution documents: PAN of the firm, partnership deed or certificate of incorporation, and GST registration if you have one.
Proof of manufacturing if you want manufacturer-exporter status, such as the Udyam or IEM certificate (Handbook paragraph 2.79(a); PLEXCONCIL asks for it explicitly).
Export figures: a CA certificate of export turnover (or of overall turnover, where the council grades fees by it) for the years the council asks about. A new exporter declares nil exports or applies as an associate member.
Product details: the ITC (HS) codes of your main products, which decide the council.

Starleads' Chartered Accountants & Tax Consultants list has 47,994 contacts across India (97% with a mobile number and 83% with an email, per Starleads' Insights figures), which helps if you need a CA in your town who already handles export certificates. Figures in this guide are counts of contacts in Starleads' data, compiled from business directories, not an official census or a DGFT register.

How to apply for RCMC online, step by step

The process below follows DGFT's e-RCMC service page and the Handbook. Screen names on the portal change from time to time, so follow the on-screen labels if they differ.

Check your IEC. Log in to dgft.gov.in with the email registered against your IEC. If the IEC is not active, update the IEC profile first; DGFT says an active IEC and updated profile are pre-requisites.
Link the signature. Register your DSC token or set up Aadhaar e-sign for the authorised signatory.
Pick the council. Use Appendix 2T and the table above to choose the Registering Authority for your main line of business. Read that council's fee circular and list of supporting documents.
Open the application. Go to Services → e-RCMC → Apply for e-RCMC. The application corresponds to form ANF 2C under Handbook paragraph 2.79.
Fill in the details. Choose the Registering Authority, declare your main line of business and products, say whether you are a merchant or manufacturer exporter, and enter export performance (or nil). Choose associate membership if you are not yet exporting.
Upload documents as the council asks: constitution documents, manufacturing proof, CA certificate.
Pay the council's fee through the portal's payment step. The amount comes from the council, not DGFT.
Sign and submit with the DSC or Aadhaar e-sign. The application goes to the council you chose.
Answer queries. The council may ask for clarification or another document; reply on the portal rather than starting a fresh application.
Download the certificate. Handbook paragraph 2.79(a) says that on being admitted to membership, the applicant "shall be granted forthwith" the RCMC in the Appendix 2R format. No fixed number of days is set in those paragraphs; how long admission takes depends on the council and how complete your papers are.

The same e-RCMC page offers three more services: Renewal of RCMC, Amendment for RCMC and View RCMC Details, which shows the RCMC of any firm when you enter its IEC and at least the first three characters of its name.

After you have the RCMC: renewal, changes and checks

Report changes within one month. Handbook paragraph 2.82 makes it obligatory to tell the Registering Authority about any change in ownership, constitution, name or address within one month of the change; the authority may condone delays on merits. Update the IEC profile first, then file the RCMC amendment.
Keep the membership paid. The certificate has a five-year validity, but councils such as EPCH and PLEXCONCIL bill a yearly subscription from 1 April. Mark the date, and ask your council what happens to your membership if a renewal is missed.
Renew before the five years end. Validity runs to 31 March of the fifth licensing year. Use the Renewal service on the portal rather than applying afresh.
De-registration and appeal. Paragraph 2.83 lets a Registering Authority de-register an RCMC holder for a specified period for violating the conditions of registration, after a show cause notice and a chance to reply; the council then tells all Registering Authorities. Paragraph 2.84 gives anyone aggrieved by a council's RCMC decision 45 days to appeal to DGFT or an officer it designates.
DGFT can direct councils. Paragraph 2.85 lets DGFT direct any Registering Authority to register or de-register an exporter.

The View RCMC Details service is also useful the other way round. If you are buying from a merchant exporter, or hiring a sourcing agent who claims to be an established exporter, enter their IEC and name to see whether they hold an RCMC and from which council. Combine it with the IEC, GST and MCA look-ups in our company search guide.

Using the membership to find buyers and partners

The RCMC is a compliance document, but it is also a membership card, and that is where much of its value lies for a small exporter. Councils run trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, delegations abroad and member directories; EPCH's renewal circular, for instance, gives a membership desk phone number and email for members' queries. Our guide on how to find buyers for export covers the fairs, portals and embassies; this section covers the Indian side: the manufacturers, merchant exporters, importers and service firms you will work with.

Starleads' Exporters list has 1,75,373 contacts in 485 cities, 71% with a mobile number and 85% with an email address. Most are in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata.

Exporter contacts by city

The categories inside the All-India Exporters list line up with the councils above, which helps if you want to see who already exports your product, or find a manufacturer-exporter to supply you as a merchant exporter. These were the largest product categories on the list page on 1 November 2026, out of 1,75,373 contacts (71% with a mobile number, 85% with an email):

Category in Starleads' Exporters list	Contacts	Council that usually issues their RCMC
Manufacturers, Exporters (general)	4,977	Depends on product; FIEO for mixed lines
Handicrafts	1,773	EPCH
Exporters - Garments	1,538	AEPC
Pharmaceutical Formulations	1,293	Pharmexcil
Electrical Goods, Equipment & Supplies	1,272	EEPC India (or ESC for electronics)
Pumps & Pumping Equipment	1,035	EEPC India
Valves	940	EEPC India
Leather Garments & Clothing; Leather Products	928; 791	Council for Leather Exports

Where the list falls short: the largest category, "Paper Importers & Exporters" (97,819 rows), is a label from the source directories and is far broader than paper, so filter by company name and address rather than trusting that category. The list also holds no RCMC or IEC numbers; check those on DGFT before relying on a firm. Our product guides go deeper for three of these groups: handicraft exporters, leather exporters and textile and garment exporters.

Two more lists matter once the RCMC is in place:

The Freight Forwarders & Customs Clearing Agents list has 15,699 contacts, 75% with a mobile number but only 46% with an email, most in Maharashtra (4,338), Delhi (2,392) and Tamil Nadu (1,540). A first-time exporter needs a customs broker for the shipping bill; our freight forwarders guide shows how to check a broker's licence.
The Importers list has 1,08,764 contacts, 90% with a mobile number and 95% with an email, useful for firms that import inputs and want an Indian distributor or a merchant exporter for their own goods.

Every list page shows 60 sample rows free. City, state and specialisation lists cost ₹499 and All-India bulk lists ₹1,999, plus 18% GST.

Calling and messaging exporters: TRAI's rules

A business mobile is still a mobile number under India's telecom rules. TRAI's preference registration page explains that any subscriber can block commercial calls and SMS by category, mode, time band and day, by sending an SMS or calling 1909, through IVR, an approved app or an OTP-verified web portal; that is the DND (NCPR) register. Its advice to senders says anyone sending bulk commercial messages must register as a principal entity, use a registered header of up to 11 characters, register content templates on the DLT platform and register and record customer consent where it is required. In practice: check numbers against DND before a calling campaign (our DND check guide shows how), make one-to-one calls from a normal business number, use DLT-registered templates for any bulk SMS, and stop contacting anyone who asks you to. For email, send in small batches from your own domain with an easy opt-out.

Mistakes that hold up an RCMC application

Applying with an inactive IEC. DGFT needs an active IEC with an updated profile; our IEC guide explains the profile update.
Choosing the wrong council. The council must match your main line of business (Handbook paragraph 2.80). A garment exporter applying to a general federation, or a plastics exporter to the engineering council, is applying to a body whose product list does not cover it.
Mixing up spices and coir. Spice and coir exporters need the Spices Board's CRES or the Coir Board's certificate, which count as an RCMC; EOU spice units must still register with the Spices Board, as Appendix 2T notes.
Claiming manufacturer status without proof. Keep the Udyam or IEM certificate ready; councils ask for it.
Forgetting the yearly subscription. Five-year validity does not mean five years of paid membership at councils that bill annually.
Not reporting a change. A new partner, a new address or a change from proprietorship to company must reach the council within a month.
Reusing an old draft for renewal. EPCH's circular warns against it; start a fresh renewal application on the portal.

Questions people ask

What is RCMC registration?

It is registration as a member of the export promotion council, commodity board or development authority for your main export product, which then issues a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate. DGFT describes it as a certificate that validates an exporter dealing in products registered with a government-authorised agency.

Is RCMC mandatory for export?

Foreign Trade Policy paragraph 2.57 requires an RCMC from anyone applying for an authorisation to import or export (other than for "Restricted" items) or for any benefit or concession under the Policy, unless specifically exempted. It is not the document that lets you ship; that is the IEC. Most exporters who intend to use any Policy scheme get one early.

What is the cost of RCMC?

There is no single fee: each council sets its own. For 2026-27, PLEXCONCIL's new membership costs ₹11,500 plus GST (₹13,570), with yearly renewal from ₹8,200 plus GST depending on turnover, and EPCH's renewal is ₹5,000 or ₹7,500 plus GST depending on export size. Check your council's current circular.

Can I apply for RCMC online?

Yes. Apply on the DGFT portal under Services → e-RCMC → Apply for e-RCMC, with an active IEC, an updated IEC profile and a DSC or Aadhaar e-sign. APEDA has used this route since 17 July 2023, and EPCH asks for renewals through the same portal.

How many days does it take to get an RCMC certificate?

The Handbook says the RCMC is granted "forthwith" once the applicant is admitted to membership, but sets no number of days for admission. The time depends on the council and on how complete your documents are; replying quickly to council queries is what shortens it.

What documents are required for RCMC registration?

An active IEC with an updated profile, a DSC or Aadhaar e-sign, the firm's PAN and constitution documents, GST registration if you have one, proof of manufacturing (Udyam or IEM) if you want manufacturer-exporter status, and a CA certificate of export or overall turnover where the council asks for it.

What is the validity of an RCMC?

Five years: from 1 April of the licensing year in which it was issued to 31 March of the fifth year, unless otherwise specified (Handbook paragraph 2.81). Membership subscriptions at many councils are still due every year.

Can a services exporter get an RCMC?

Yes. Appendix 2T lists the Services Export Promotion Council for services such as accounting, advertising, architecture, consultancy, education, healthcare, legal, and hotel and tourism, and the Electronics & Computer Software EPC covers software and IT-enabled services.