India’s overall import structure showed significant qualitative improvements in August 2026, with “core imports”, comprising non-oil and non-gold industrial shipments, rising 19% year-on-year to $52 billion. High-value inward shipments of electronics, machinery, and capital goods reflected robust domestic investment and manufacturing activity geared toward value-added exports. To further lower entry barriers for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and artisan exporters, the Ministry of Commerce amended the Foreign Trade Policy to waive the Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) requirement for export consignments valued up to ₹3 lakh ($3,000). Official data indicated that low-value shipments under $3,000 previously accounted for 43% of total shipping documentation while contributing less than 0.86% to total export value. In parallel, the Commerce Ministry submitted a formal proposal to the Expenditure Finance Committee seeking a comprehensive five-year extension for the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme, which reimburses unrefunded local taxes to keep Indian exports price-competitive globally.