The Centre has extended Component II of the RELIEF scheme by six months to help Indian exporters manage higher shipping, insurance and war-related risks linked to continuing disruption across West Asian maritime routes. The support will now remain available until March 31, 2027, the Department of Commerce said.
The extension was announced through a notification dated September 30 and is intended to encourage exporters to obtain insurance cover from the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC) for eligible shipments to specified regions. The department said the measure would help sustain trade flows while geopolitical tensions continue to affect logistics across the Gulf and surrounding areas.
Under Component II of RELIEF, eligible exporters can receive risk coverage of up to 95 per cent. The scheme also provides protection against increases in insurance premiums beyond pre-disruption levels during the eligible period. The support is designed for exporters facing exceptional increases in logistics costs and export risks caused by disruptions along the Gulf and wider West Asian maritime corridor.
The scheme covers standalone and whole-turnover ECGC policies obtained on or after March 16, 2026. Eligible cargo includes full container load shipments, less than container load shipments and refrigerated containers. Energy shipments are excluded from the coverage, according to the information released by the department.
Exporters seeking to use the scheme must submit claims and supporting documents through the ECGC customer portal. ECGC has also published video tutorials on its official YouTube channel to guide exporters through registration and the claim-submission process.
RELIEF was launched on March 19, 2026, as part of the government’s Export Promotion Mission. Its Component II is aimed specifically at managing elevated risks and logistics costs associated with maritime disruptions in West Asia. The route is significant for exporters because interruptions in the region can affect freight charges, insurance premiums and the availability of war-risk cover.
The extension does not remove the underlying shipping or geopolitical risks. Instead, it keeps a public support mechanism available for eligible cargo and insurance policies for another six months. The Department of Commerce said the measure was intended to reduce exporters’ exposure to increased shipping and insurance costs while uncertainty persists.
Exporters will need to verify whether their policies, cargo categories, destinations and shipment dates meet the scheme’s eligibility conditions before filing claims through the ECGC portal. The extended coverage will remain in force until March 31, 2027.
