The 2025 Guidelines for Exporting Certified Organic Products Under NPOP

On January 5, 2025, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued Public Notice No. 39/2024‑25, ushering in an updated framework for exporting certified organic products under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). These changes took effect 180 days later, replacing previous notifications (2013 & 2015) and setting clearer guidelines aligned with international standards 

1. Certified Compliance with NPOP Standards

   All exported products must fully comply with NPOP standards—from cultivation and processing to packaging and labeling. These standards are recognized as equivalent to EU and Swiss norms, with ongoing discussions to expand recognitions with Canada, Australia, South Korea, and more

   
   

2. Mandatory NPOP Certification

   Exporters must be registered and certified under the NPOP. Certification Bodies accredited by the National Accreditation Body (NAB) through APEDA conduct the inspections and grant certification

   
   

3. Transaction Certificates (TC) Required

   Every shipment must be accompanied by a Transaction Certificate (TC) issued by an NPOP-accredited certification body. A shipment cannot be exported as “organic” without a TC

   
   

4. Superseding Earlier Notifications

   Public Notice No. 39/2024‑25 supersedes Public Notice No. 73 (2013) and No. 10 (2015), consolidating and simplifying export regulations into one cohesive document

   
   

5. Transition Period & Implementation Timing

   Though issued on January 5, 2025, exporters were given 180 days to fully comply. Effective compliance began around July 4, 2025 

   
   

   Step-by-Step Overview of Exporters’ Obligations

Requirement	Description
Join NPOP	Register and get certified by an APEDA-accredited Certification Body.
Maintain Compliance	Adhere strictly to all NPOP standards in cultivation, processing, labeling, and packaging.
Apply for Transaction Certificate	Submit shipment details to the Certifier for TC issuance.
Compile Export Documents	Include NPOP certificate, TC, IEC, and other DGFT paperwork.
Export as Organic	Ship only with approved TC—otherwise goods cannot be labeled “organic.”
Annual Renewal	Certification and accreditation must be renewed yearly.

Benefits of the New Framework

• Simplified Compliance: Replaces overlapping older notices and provides clarity.

• Trusted Credentials: TCs and globally equivalent NPOP certification boost credibility.

• Farmer-Centric Improvements: Revised rice regulations better support small producers.

• Growth-Oriented Goals: Backed by ambitious export targets and APEDA’s global initiatives.