How to Register as a Rice Exporter with APEDA: RCMC, Contracts and Support Explained

Find the buyer second, register first

Most first-time rice exporters find a buyer first and learn the paperwork later. That order costs time. In India, APEDA steps sit between a signed deal and a shipment, and both are easier when you know them upfront.

This guide explains what APEDA does, how to get registered, and what it asks of you on every shipment.

What APEDA actually does

APEDA is the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, set up under an Act of Parliament passed in December 1985. The Act took effect on 13 February 1986. The office is in New Delhi.

Under the Act, it registers exporters of scheduled products, sets standards for them, works on packaging, supports export industries, and collects and publishes trade data. Rice falls under cereals, one of the scheduled products.

One thing APEDA is not

APEDA does not certify rice quality for every shipment. Destination countries ask for their own papers. For the EU, for example, APEDA's own notice asks for a Certificate of Inspection from EIC/EIA. Check your buyer's country before you book a vessel.

Step 1: Get your RCMC

The RCMC is your Registration-cum-Membership Certificate. Without it, you are not a registered APEDA exporter.

Before you apply

You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT first. Apply for the e-RCMC through the DGFT portal. APEDA has issued RCMCs through that portal since 17 July 2023.

Validity and documents

• Validity: 5 years.
• Merchant exporters upload a signed copy of the IEC.
• Manufacturers also upload proof of manufacturing. For cereals, APEDA accepts an FSSAI licence, Udyam registration or MSME certificate.

Step 2: Register every contract

An RCMC alone does not clear a shipment. You also register each export contract with APEDA online and receive a Registration-cum-Allocation Certificate (RCAC).

Basmati exporters have followed this process for years. DGFT extended it to non-basmati rice through Notification 33/2025-26 of 24 September 2025.

What the non-basmati rule says

• You upload a scanned LC, contract or proforma invoice first.
• The RCAC is valid for shipment within 45 days of issue.
• You print it and give it to customs with your other documents.

Apply only for the quantity you can ship in that 45-day window.

Where APEDA helps you

APEDA runs the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) at Modipuram, Uttar Pradesh. It does DNA fingerprinting to identify basmati varieties, and DGFT has named it an authorised centre for variety identification of basmati samples drawn by Customs.

APEDA's Financial Assistance Scheme guidelines also list support for quality certification, residue testing, trade fairs and trial shipments for scheduled products. The version we read dates from 2021, so confirm current terms on apeda.gov.in before you plan around it.

Your quick checklist

1. Get an IEC from DGFT.
2. Apply for your RCMC.
3. Register each contract and collect the RCAC.
4. Check destination-specific certificates.
5. Ship inside the 45-day window.