India’s DGFT has launched ‘Niryat Disha’ under the Export Promotion Mission to strengthen global branding, packaging, and labelling of Indian exports, with textiles and apparel among the priority sectors.
The initiative proposes a Unified Brand India framework, a voluntary Trust Mark, branding support, and funding of up to ₹10 crore per project, with stakeholder consultations open for 30 days.
As part of the first phase, the scheme covers ten priority sectors, including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, food processing, handicrafts and geographical indication products, pharmaceuticals, engineering and automotive, gems and jewellery, cosmetics, wellness and AYUSH, and hospitality and medical tourism.
A key feature of the framework is the introduction of a voluntary multi-tier Trust Mark, designed to certify quality, origin and traceability for Indian products and services. Certification fees will be waived for the first two years, with periodic audits and re-certification intended to maintain credibility and encourage participation by MSMEs and emerging exporters.
For the textile and apparel sector, the initiative provides support for developing sector-specific brand identities, digital marketing campaigns, exporter branding toolkits, international trade fair promotion, product catalogues, destination-specific packaging and labelling, localisation into foreign languages, sustainable packaging solutions, and sector-focused digital platforms. Branding activities may also include airport and retail promotions, social media campaigns, and other overseas marketing initiatives.
Financial assistance of up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs, subject to a ceiling of ₹10 crore (~$1.04 million) per project, will be available for approved sector branding proposals in priority sectors. Eligible applicants include recognised EPCs, Commodity Boards, industry associations, export clusters, district export hubs, and Central and State government organisations.
The framework also envisages convergence with existing quality initiatives, allowing sector-specific certifications such as Cotton Mark and Silk Mark to be aligned with the Unified Brand India identity. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), the Indian Institute of Packaging, and other institutions are expected to support design, branding, and packaging capacity-building for exporters, particularly MSMEs.
Campaigns may target major export destinations including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Gulf, ASEAN, Africa and Latin America through multimedia advertising, digital outreach, trade fair pavilions, buyer engagement programmes, and country-specific promotional campaigns.
The DGFT has invited stakeholder comments on the guidelines within 30 days of the Trade Notice dated July 14, 2026, before finalising the operational framework.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
