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Exporting soft drinks and other beverages from India

Non-alcoholic beverages are in the First Schedule to the APEDA Act, so their exporters register with APEDA. Ready-to-drink and instant tea count as tea under the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005, and need a Tea Board exporter licence. An IEC, the shipping bill and, where asked, a certificate of origin complete the file.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Registration
APEDA, for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
Fruit juices
APEDA: fruits, vegetables and their products
Ready-to-drink tea
Tea Board exporter licence
RCMC fee at APEDA
Rs 5,000 plus GST, for five years
Certificate of origin
Through trade.gov.in; Rs 200 if non-preferential

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the drink in APEDA's schedule, and is the exporter registered? Read more
  2. 2Is it a tea product, such as ready-to-drink or instant tea? Read more
  3. 3Does the maker's FSSAI licence and annual return cover what is exported? Read more
  4. 4Is the IEC current, and which documents travel with the shipment? Read more
  5. 5Does the buyer need a certificate of origin to claim a preference? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Registration with APEDA

APEDA registers exporters of the products in the First Schedule to its Act and issues their RCMC.

  • 'Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages' and 'fruits, vegetables and their products' are Scheduled products under the APEDA Act, 1985.
  • Every person exporting a Scheduled product applies to APEDA for registration within one month of undertaking the export (section 12).
  • APEDA issues its RCMC on the DGFT portal after the exporter has an IEC; the fee is Rs 5,000 plus GST and the certificate runs five years.
  • APEDA's own description of the beverages it covers includes soft drinks and mineral water.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the APEDA RCMC with the exporter's record and shows when it falls due. Ask about this

Tea-based drinks

Drinks made from tea fall under the Tea Board's export controls.

  • The Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 defines tea to include instant tea and value-added products such as packet tea, tea bags, flavoured tea and ready-to-drink tea (RTD).
  • No exporter exports tea except under a business licence from the Tea Board; samples to foreign buyers, postal parcels and non-commercial exports are excepted.
  • An exporter applies for a non-preferential certificate of origin for each tea consignment, unless the buyer confirms in writing that it needs none.
  • Since 2021, an exporter licence is valid for five years.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the Tea Board licence with the exporter's record, and each consignment's certificate of origin with its shipment. Ask about this

FSSAI licence and annual return

The food licence held by the business that makes or bottles the drink.

  • 100% Export Oriented Units are licensed by FSSAI's Central Licensing Authority.
  • Every licensee files an annual return in Form D-1 by 31 May, stating quantities manufactured, handled, imported and exported.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the FSSAI licence with the products it covers, and shows a licence that lapses before the next shipment. Ask about this

IEC and shipping documents

The general rules every export from India meets.

  • No export or import of goods is made without an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) unless specifically exempted (FTP 2023, para 2.05).
  • The IEC is a 10-character code, the same as the firm's PAN, issued separately by DGFT on an online application.
  • The IEC holder updates its details online every year between April and June; an IEC not updated is de-activated.
  • Mandatory export documents are the bill of lading, airway bill or other transport receipt; the commercial invoice cum packing list; and the shipping bill or bill of export (FTP 2023, para 2.06).
  • The shipping bill is an electronic declaration in the Indian Customs EDI System, entered by the exporter or an authorised customs broker through ICEGATE or a service centre.
  • Where goods carry restrictions or need an NOC under another law, the regulator may notify additional export documents.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the shipping bill, invoice and packing list of each shipment together, so an importer's question can be answered from the record. Ask about this

Certificates of origin

Evidence of Indian origin for the buyer or the destination's customs.

  • Certificates of origin for exports from India are issued only by agencies DGFT has authorised, and only through trade.gov.in (FTP para 2.62; HBP para 2.90).
  • IEC holders use the same invoice numbers on the certificate of origin and the shipping bill, so the two can be checked against each other.
  • A non-preferential certificate costs Rs 200; the invoice and packing list are uploaded with the application (HBP para 2.93).
  • Simple operations do not make imported inputs Indian: bottling, simple mixing, dilution with water, labelling and simple packing are among those listed (HBP para 2.93).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificate of origin with the invoice and shipping bill it matches, and reads it against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe IEC, APEDA or Tea Board registration, and the shipping bill.Registrations kept dated, with what lapses shown before shipment.
Manufacturer or bottlerThe FSSAI licence and annual return, and the product's composition.Licences and test reports kept with each lot.
Certifying authorityAPEDA and the Tea Board for registration; DGFT-authorised agencies for certificates of origin.Each certificate read against what the destination asks for.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what soft drinks and other beverages have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need APEDA registration to export soft drinks from India?
Yes. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are Scheduled products under the APEDA Act, 1985, and their exporters apply to APEDA for registration within one month of the first export.
Are fruit juices covered by APEDA?
Fruits, vegetables and their products are in the First Schedule to the APEDA Act, so exporters of fruit products register with APEDA.
How do I get an APEDA RCMC?
Apply for the e-RCMC on the DGFT portal once the business has an IEC. APEDA charges Rs 5,000 plus GST; the certificate runs five years and amendments are free.
Does ready-to-drink tea need a Tea Board licence to export?
Yes. The Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 counts ready-to-drink tea, instant tea, tea bags and flavoured tea as tea, and no exporter exports tea without a Tea Board business licence.
Does each tea drink consignment need a certificate of origin?
The exporter applies to the Tea Board for a non-preferential certificate of origin for each consignment, unless the buyer confirms in writing, before shipment, that it is not needed.
Does bottling imported concentrate in India make the drink Indian?
Not by itself. For a non-preferential certificate of origin, bottling, simple mixing and dilution with water are among the simple operations that do not confer Indian origin on imported inputs.
Do I need an IEC to export beverages?
Yes. No export of goods is made without an Importer-Exporter Code unless specifically exempted. The IEC is updated online every year between April and June.
What does a beverage maker report to FSSAI about exports?
Every FSSAI licensee files an annual return in Form D-1 by 31 May, which includes the quantities exported.
Can I send product samples abroad freely?
Bona fide trade and technical samples of freely exportable items may be exported without limit (FTP para 2.43). Tea sent as samples to foreign buyers needs no Tea Board business licence.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from India?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

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