CAPEXIL Registration (RCMC for Chemical & Allied Exporters)
CAPEXIL is the export promotion council for chemical and allied products, from ceramics and tyres to natural stone, plywood, paper and minerals. Its RCMC lets you claim benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy. We choose your panel, prepare the documents and file the e-RCMC on the DGFT portal.
What it is
CAPEXIL was set up in March 1958 by the Ministry of Commerce to promote exports of chemical and allied products from India. Despite the name, its range is wide: tyres, ceramics, glassware, granite and marble, minerals and ores, cement, plywood, paper, paints, rubber goods, books and animal by-products all come under it.
CAPEXIL registration means taking its Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC). Paragraph 2.57(a) of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 says an exporter needs an RCMC to apply for an import or export authorisation or any other benefit or concession under the FTP. You apply to the council that covers your main line of business, online, as an e-RCMC on the DGFT portal.
Here is the catch: many exporters never think of themselves as “chemical” businesses. A Faridabad rubber goods maker, a granite trader with an NCR office, or a Delhi publisher shipping books to the Gulf may all find their council is CAPEXIL.
Who it applies to
Manufacturer-exporters
Units making tiles, sanitaryware, tyres, plywood, paper, paints or processed minerals and shipping them abroad.
Merchant exporters
Traders exporting stone, ores or ceramic products bought from others. CAPEXIL treats manufacturers and merchants under one consolidated category, so there is no second RCMC fee.
Animal by-product exporters
Exporters in the animal by-products panel deal with CAPEXIL for a Plant Approval Certificate and shipment clearance certificates as well as the RCMC.
Why it matters
Opens FTP schemes
Advance Authorisation (Chapter 4 of the Handbook of Procedures), the EPCG scheme (Chapter 5) and other FTP concessions need a valid RCMC. Pair it with a GST LUT and you export without paying IGST upfront.
Low annual cost
The fee is ₹3,000 or ₹5,000 a year plus GST, depending on your export turnover.
A voice for your product group
The council works panel by panel, so members get updates and support specific to their products, and a channel to the Ministry of Commerce.
Documents required
Registrations
- Active Import Export Code (IEC) with an updated profile
- PAN and GST registration
- Certificate of incorporation, LLP or partnership deed
- Manufacturers: Udyam registration or factory licence
Turnover proof
- Self-certified export turnover (FOB value in ₹) of the previous financial year, on letterhead
- Signed by a director, CFO, CMD, proprietor or partner
Signing and payment
- DSC linked to the DGFT login, or Aadhaar e-sign
- Panel(s) you export under
- Animal by-products: CA certificate of investment in plant and machinery for the Plant Approval Certificate
CAPEXIL panels and fees
CAPEXIL works through 16 product panels: auto tyres and tubes; ceramics and allied products; bulk minerals and ores; processed minerals; ossein and gelatine products; cement, clinkers and asbestos products; graphite, explosives and accessories; natural stones and products; miscellaneous products; paper, paper board and paper products; plywood and allied products; rubber products; glass and glassware; animal by-products; paints, printing ink and allied products; and books, publications and printing.
| Item | CAPEXIL fee |
|---|---|
| RCMC, export turnover up to ₹25 lakh | ₹3,000 + GST per year |
| RCMC, export turnover above ₹25 lakh | ₹5,000 + GST per year |
| Each additional panel | ₹1,000 + GST |
| Institutional members or products outside CAPEXIL’s HSN codes | ₹50,000 + GST per year, whatever the turnover |
| Shipment clearance certificate (animal by-products) | ₹1,180 including GST |
Since 1 April 2024 the RCMC fee is multiplied by the number of years of membership you apply for. Turnover is your export turnover at FOB value. Members send a fresh self-certified turnover statement every year, and the fee adjusts if you cross ₹25 lakh.
How it works
Confirm your IEC is active
The e-RCMC needs an active IEC with an updated profile. If this year’s update was missed, we do it first.
Match your HSN codes to panels
We take the HSN codes from your invoices and match them to CAPEXIL’s panels. Say a Ballabgarh unit exports ceramic tiles and some glassware: that is a main panel plus one additional panel at ₹1,000 plus GST.
Draft the turnover statement
We work out last year’s FOB export turnover from your shipping bills and draft the self-certified statement on your letterhead. In practice, this figure decides your slab, so it has to match your books.
File the e-RCMC on DGFT
We file the application with CAPEXIL as registering authority, pay the fee for the years chosen, and sign with your DSC or Aadhaar e-sign.
Keep the membership current
We follow up on queries and download the RCMC. Each year we send the fresh turnover statement and export returns through the CAPEXIL members’ portal.
Timelines
IEC update: April to June
Your IEC must be updated on the DGFT portal every year between April and June, or it is deactivated and the RCMC application stalls.
RCMC: up to 5 financial years
An e-RCMC is valid from 1 April of the licensing year of issue for five financial years ending 31 March. CAPEXIL charges for the years of membership you choose.
Plant approval: 1 or 2 years
For animal by-products, a Plant Approval Certificate runs for up to two years for manufacturers and up to one year for merchant exporters, ending 31 March.
What happens if you skip it
FTP claims are blocked
Without a valid RCMC you cannot apply for the authorisations and other FTP benefits that paragraph 2.57(a) ties to it.
Plant approval runs out
For animal by-products, the Plant Approval Certificate ends on 31 March of its last year. A merchant’s certificate also depends on the supplying manufacturer’s, so one lapse can hold up both.
The wrong council costs twice
An RCMC helps only for the products its council covers. Register with the wrong one and you pay again elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CAPEXIL membership fee?
The RCMC fee is ₹3,000 plus GST a year if your export turnover is up to ₹25 lakh, and ₹5,000 plus GST a year above that. Since 1 April 2024 the fee is multiplied by the number of membership years you apply for. Each extra panel costs ₹1,000 plus GST. Institutional members, or products outside CAPEXIL’s HSN codes, pay ₹50,000 plus GST a year. For a small exporter on one panel, a year costs ₹3,540 with GST.
Is CAPEXIL registration mandatory?
It is required if you want benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy for products CAPEXIL covers. Paragraph 2.57(a) of FTP 2023 makes an RCMC a condition for authorisations and other FTP concessions. A shipment can leave on an IEC alone, but if you plan to use any FTP scheme, the RCMC should be in place first.
Which products does CAPEXIL cover?
CAPEXIL has 16 panels, covering tyres and tubes, ceramics, minerals and ores, natural stone, cement, glass, plywood, paper, rubber products, paints and printing ink, graphite and explosives, ossein and gelatine, animal by-products, books and printing, and miscellaneous products. If your goods fall under its HSN codes, CAPEXIL is your council. We check your HSN codes against the panels before you apply.
How is turnover counted for the CAPEXIL fee?
It is your export turnover at FOB value in rupees for the previous financial year. You give a self-certified statement on letterhead, signed by a director, CFO, CMD, proprietor or partner. Up to ₹25 lakh the fee is ₹3,000 a year; above it, ₹5,000. A new exporter with no exports yet falls in the lower slab. The statement is refreshed every year, so the fee tracks your real exports.
Do I need separate RCMCs as a manufacturer and a merchant exporter?
No. CAPEXIL has consolidated the manufacturer and merchant categories, so one RCMC covers both roles and there is no double charge. If you export products from more than one panel, you add each extra panel for ₹1,000 plus GST instead of taking a second membership. That keeps the cost low for exporters with a mixed basket, such as tiles and natural stone together.
How long is a CAPEXIL RCMC valid?
An e-RCMC issued on the DGFT portal is valid from 1 April of the licensing year of issue for up to five financial years, ending 31 March. CAPEXIL charges the fee for each year of membership you apply for. Members still file an annual self-certified turnover statement. Choose the years with your export plans in mind and renewals stay predictable.
What is the Plant Approval Certificate for animal by-products?
It is CAPEXIL’s approval of the processing plant for exporters in the animal by-products panel. It runs for up to two years for MSME and large manufacturers, ending 31 March, and up to one year for merchant exporters, tied to the supplying manufacturer’s certificate. CAPEXIL treats a unit as MSME if its original investment in plant and machinery is under ₹5 crore. A shipment clearance certificate costs ₹1,180 including GST.
Can I apply for CAPEXIL RCMC without an IEC?
No. The e-RCMC module on the DGFT portal needs an active IEC with an updated profile, plus a DSC linked to your login or Aadhaar e-sign. The IEC costs ₹500 and is usually issued within a few working days. If you are new to exporting, we file the IEC first and the CAPEXIL application right after, so you lose very little time.
What does Taxhint do in the CAPEXIL registration?
We map your products to the right panels, prepare the turnover statement and documents, file the e-RCMC on the DGFT portal and answer queries. CAPEXIL issues the RCMC and any plant approval; we prepare and file, and the council decides. We also handle the IEC, GST and LUT filings exporters need, so you have one team for the paperwork.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
CAPEXIL’s RCMC fee is ₹3,000 (export turnover up to ₹25 lakh) or ₹5,000 (above ₹25 lakh) per year of membership, plus 18% GST, and ₹1,000 plus GST for each extra panel. An IEC, if you need one, costs ₹500.
Ready to begin?
Tell us what you export and last year’s FOB turnover, and we will file your CAPEXIL e-RCMC under the right panel.