Advance Authorisation Statistics: Authorisations Issued, Imports and Exports
· 2 min read · 3 official sources
DGFT issued 23,339 Advance Authorisations in 2023-24, allowing duty-free imports worth Rs 2,95,269 crore against exports of Rs 5,09,346 crore, according to the Department of Commerce annual report. Another 16,844 were issued from April to November 2024. Year-wise figures since 2022-23 are below.
Advance Authorisation Scheme: key numbers
Infographic
Advance Authorisations issued by year
Number of Advance Authorisations issued by DGFT regional authorities. The 2024-25 figure covers only April to November 2024.
| Year | Authorisations issued |
|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 22,322 |
| 2023-24 | 23,339 |
| 2024-25 (Apr to Nov) | 16,844 |
Source: commerce.gov.in, as on 30 November 2024
Duty-free imports and linked exports under Advance Authorisation
CIF value of imports allowed and FOB value of exports committed under the authorisations issued in each year, in Rs crore. The 2024-25 row covers April to November 2024.
| Year | CIF value of imports (Rs crore) | FOB value of exports (Rs crore) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 2,48,599 | 5,01,528 |
| 2023-24 | 2,95,269 | 5,09,346 |
| 2024-25 (Apr to Nov) | 1,83,825 | 3,08,845 |
Source: commerce.gov.in, as on 30 November 2024
How an Advance Authorisation works
What the numbers show
Advance Authorisation is a duty exemption scheme run by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The Department of Commerce annual report for 2024-25 shows 23,339 authorisations issued in 2023-24. Together they allowed duty-free imports with a CIF value of Rs 2,95,269 crore and carried an export commitment with an FOB value of Rs 5,09,346 crore.
The trend over the years
The number of authorisations has stayed in a narrow band. It was 22,322 in 2022-23 and 23,339 in 2023-24. For the first eight months of 2024-25, from April to November 2024, DGFT issued 16,844 authorisations covering imports of Rs 1,83,825 crore and exports of Rs 3,08,845 crore. The full-year figure for 2024-25 was not part of that report. An earlier annual report gave 23,031 authorisations for 2021-22.
Import value under the scheme rose from Rs 2,48,599 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 2,95,269 crore in 2023-24, while the linked export value moved only a little, from Rs 5,01,528 crore to Rs 5,09,346 crore.
How to read these figures
The CIF and FOB values are the amounts written on the authorisations when they are issued. They show what exporters were allowed to import and what they promised to export. They are not the same as imports and exports that actually took place in that year. An authorisation can be used over 12 months for imports, and the export obligation can run for 18 months, so goods covered by a 2023-24 authorisation may have been shipped in 2024-25.
The figures also count authorisations, not exporters. A single manufacturer can hold many authorisations in a year for different products.
Revised figures
Annual reports sometimes revise earlier numbers. The 2023-24 report listed 23,345 authorisations and imports of Rs 2,98,070 crore for 2023-24. The 2024-25 report gives 23,339 authorisations and Rs 2,95,269 crore for the same year. This page uses the later report.
Where to check newer data
The Department of Commerce publishes year-wise figures for duty remission schemes in its annual report, usually in the chapter on export promotion. DGFT also puts out monthly MIS reports on export promotion schemes on its website, and the Handbook of Procedures sets out the current rules for the scheme.
Frequently asked questions
How many Advance Authorisations are issued in a year?
DGFT issued 23,339 Advance Authorisations in 2023-24 and 22,322 in 2022-23, according to the Department of Commerce annual report for 2024-25. From April to November 2024, 16,844 were issued.
How much duty-free import is allowed under Advance Authorisation?
Authorisations issued in 2023-24 allowed imports with a CIF value of Rs 2,95,269 crore. In 2022-23 the figure was Rs 2,48,599 crore.
What export value is linked to these authorisations?
The authorisations issued in 2023-24 carried an export commitment with an FOB value of Rs 5,09,346 crore, against Rs 5,01,528 crore in 2022-23.
Why do different reports show different numbers for 2023-24?
The Department of Commerce annual report for 2023-24 listed 23,345 authorisations for that year, while the 2024-25 report lists 23,339. The later report carries the revised figure, which is the one used on this page.
Where can I find newer figures?
The Department of Commerce publishes these numbers in its annual report each year. DGFT also releases monthly MIS reports on export promotion schemes on its website.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Advance Authorisation Scheme full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- commerce.gov.in (www.commerce.gov.in/files/2025-08/Commerce_AR-2024-25-English-1.pdf)
- commerce.gov.in (www.commerce.gov.in/files/2025-04/Annual-Report-English-Lower-Resolution-1.pdf)
- content.dgft.gov.in (content.dgft.gov.in/Website/HBP_07_2026_Chapter_04.pdf)