Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), established in 1978 under the banner of the Ministry of Textiles is the statutory body that acts as a support system for the Apparel exporters in India, as well as International buyers who source their garments from India. In the buzzing apparel industry, AEPC has been the tireless worker behind making India a preferred sourcing target for garments. This has become possible because of the efforts of AEPC in integrating the apparel industry. Its range of services include offering basic training to the workforce to provide an incessant flow of skilled manpower; from digging up information to source machinery and infrastructure to provide a platform through fairs held in India, as well as abroad.
As a part of the Export Promotion Council, AEPC through its continuous holistic support has gifted India with an enhanced global competitive advantage. This body works diligently to achieve national export promotion targets, helping in productivity increase, providing jobs, and further enhancing India’s position in the apparel industry.
Objectives of AEPC
AEPC has certain objectives in mind and the benefits for the members can be easily drawn out from these objectives. Some of the key objectives of AEPC are as follows:
- Undertaking promotion of apparel exports
- To promote, increase, develop exports of all types of ready-made garments, excluding garments of leather jute and woolen knitwear
- Persistently working towards providing necessary information to businessmen in regards to market research, pricing of various goods, policies, subsidies or benefits from such policies
- To provide informative, technical, financial or any other help to all concerned
- Assisting manufacturers by imparting skills to the workforce
- To undertake training of workers to enhance their skills related to garment manufacturing
- Working closely with the government to plan policies, forecast conditions, set export targets, etc.
Becoming a Member of AEPC & Eligibility Criteria
Membership of AEPC can be availed by the people who are in manufacturing or trade of the prescribed garment by submitting an application form and required documents at AEPC offices. The primary eligibility criterion for becoming a member is to be a manufacturer exporter or merchant exporter. The applicant should be of more than 21 years in case of registration as an individual or sole proprietorship. The applicant or any partner must not have been ruled insolvent or been convicted for an offence involving misconduct or moral turpitude by the Court of Law. It is imperative that the firm’s aggregate export turnover has been more than Rs.1 crore in the preceding 3 years.
One of the most important requirements of almost all Export Promotion Councils is that they require a Registration-cum-Membership-Certificate (RCMC). To be a Member exporter of AEPC and avail benefits entailing from benefits, an applicant must have Registration-cum-Membership-Certificate.
Documents Required, Fees & Charges
Fill and submit an application form, which is also available online at the AEPC website. Applicant needs to furnish some important details like the name of the business, the period from which it is carried out, registration number, export turnover of preceding years, etc.
Application form can be downloaded by clicking here
Applicant also need to carry the following documents at the time of submission of this application form:
- Self certified copy of the IEC issued by the licensing authority (DGFT)
- Duly notarized, an undertaking on non-judicial stamp paper
- A self-certified copy of Memorandum & Articles of Association or Partnership Deed or Certificate of Registrar for a firm, as per the requirements
- In case of a Manufacturer Exporter, a self-attested copy of SSI Certificate or Industrial License is mandatory.
- All the above mentioned documents should be duly notarized on a non-judicial stamp.
- Self-attested Certificate, Letter of Intent, Industrial License issued by the concerned Authority
Fees & Charges
Entrance fees for a new registration Rs. 1000 + Rs. 180 (18% GST) = Rs. 1180 + Annual Fee of Rs. 8000 + Rs. 1440 (18% GST) = Rs. 9440, in Total = Rs. 10620.
Benefits of becoming an AEPC member
- Market Development Assistance Grant
As per Market Development Assistance (MDA) guidelines, any member exporter of AEPC with a minimum period of membership of 12 months and export turnover less than Rs.15 crore in the preceding financial year is eligible to avail MDA grants for participating in overseas trade fairs. For a maximum of 1 visit per financial year, an area wise aid is detailed below:
| Area | Max amount per event (in Rs. Lakh) |
| Focus LAC | 1.80 |
| Focus Africa (including West Asian, North African (WANA) countries) | 1.50 |
| Focus CIS | 1.50 |
| Focus ASEAN+2 | 1.50 |
| General Area | 0.80 |
- Refund for Training Expense: The member exporters can get a 40% rebate in the tuition fees for authorized employees nominated for core courses and 20% for flagship courses in ATDC Centers
- Subsidy in Training programs abroad: The body provides a 75% subsidy in the Training Cost incurred for employees trained at Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA), Hong Kong
- Duty Drawback Benefits: The council actively works in collecting duty drawback data and facilitates a quick refund to the member exporters
- Timely Information for Decision Making: This body also provides its members with extensive data on market research, policies, exchange rates, and other such through periodicals and journals
- Backbone for financing: A member can avail a lot of credibility post-registration, as when he/she is evaluated for export discounting bills, trade finance, working capital loans or other such financial need, such membership guarantees a capacity to repay
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is APEC?
APEC is Apparel Export Promotion Council registered under section 25 of Companies’ Act 1956 that provides specialized services and business opportunities for the apparel industry.
Where is the headquarter of APEC?
AEPC’s headquarter is at Apparel House, Institutional area, Sector-44, Gurugram-122003
What is the additional policy support given to this industry?
Benefits like rationalization of excise duties and customs duties can be availed as a member partner. AEPC, with the government’s help, is also providing mobilization of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into the Indian textile and garment sector.
What are AEPC’s major activities?
The broad areas of AEPC’s functioning involve arranging buyer seller meets, promoting participation in trade fairs, organizing trade expositions, imparting market knowledge through periodicals and journals, assisting members in getting financial help, etc.
How to contact AEPC?
The most appropriate way to reach out to AEPC would be through via e-mail. More information on the same can be retrieved from the CONTACT US button at the bottom of the Home Page. One can also call on the Toll Free number 1800 180 7000.