Status Holders are business leaders who have excelled in international trade and have successfully contributed to country’s foreign trade. Status Holders are expected to not only contribute towards India’s exports but also provide guidance and handholding to new entrepreneurs.

All exporters of goods, services and technology having an import-export code (IEC) number shall be eligible for recognition as a status holder. Status recognition will depend on export performance. An applicant shall be categorized as status holder on achieving export performance during the current and previous three financial years (for Gems& Jewellery Sector the performance during the current and previous two financial years shall be considered for recognition as status holder). For granting status, export performance is necessary in at least two out of four years

Privileges of Status Holders A Status Holder shall be eligible for privileges as under:

1. Authorisation and Customs Clearances for both imports and exports may be granted on self-declaration basis;
2. Input-Output norms may be fixed on priority within 60 days by the Norms Committee; Special scheme in respect of Input Output Norms to be notified by DGFT from time to time, for specified status holder
3. Exemption from furnishing of Bank Guarantee for Schemes under FTP, unless specified otherwise anywhere in FTP or HBP;
4. Exemption from compulsory negotiation of documents through banks. Remittance / receipts, however, would be received through banking channels;
5. Two star and above Export houses shall be permitted to establish Export Warehouses as per Department of Revenue guidelines.
6. The status holders would be entitled to preferential treatment and priority in handling of their consignments by the concerned agencies.

As part of trade facilitation initiative by DGFT, the status holder certificate will be electronically generated based on the export data available in DGCI&S database with no requirement by the exporter to file any kind of application in Most cases.- DGFT PN 32/2023 Dt 09.10.2023 may be referred