The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is an institution and an attached office under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, responsible for administering laws and implementing the country's foreign trade policy. Its main mandate is to promote exports from India. The DGFT was established in 1991 as part of the economic liberalization reforms, replacing the earlier Chief Controller of Imports & Exports (CCI&E). This transition solved the problem of a restrictive, control-oriented regime, which was governed by the pre-liberalization Imports and Exports (Control) Act of 1947, by shifting the focus to development and facilitation of trade.
The DGFT operates under the statutory authority of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 (FTDR Act). It formulates and implements the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), such as the FTP 2023, which lays down the rules and incentive schemes for exports and imports. A key mechanism is the issuance of the mandatory Importer Exporter Code (IEC) number, which is required for any business engaged in international trade. The DGFT also works in tandem with the Customs Commissionerate and the Enforcement Directorate to ensure compliance.
The DGFT's role has recently been amended to align with international labour standards. A notification issued on July 13, 2026, amended the FTP, 2023, by inserting Paragraph 2.20B to prohibit the import of goods produced or manufactured using forced labour. This change empowers the DGFT to conduct inquiries into such practices, adopting the definition of forced labour from the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). Additionally, the DGFT recently updated the SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies) list on September 23, 2025, tightening export controls on dual-use items.