About Open General Export Licence
- Open General Export Licence (OGEL) is a standing, one-time export authorisation granted to Indian exporters.
- It enables multiple shipments of specified military equipment and components to approved foreign destinations without requiring individual permissions for every transaction.
Key Institutional & Legal Facts
- Administering Body: Issued and administered by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
- Statutory Linkage: Operates pursuant to delegated powers under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, notified via the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
- International Linkage: Aligns India’s export control regime with the Wassenaar Arrangement (joined in 2017).
Coverage and Major Exclusions
- Eligible Items: Spare parts, components, sub-assemblies, body armour, non-lethal firing systems, and intra-company Transfer of Technology (ToT).
- Excluded Items: Complete lethal weapon platforms, complete Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and core explosive materials.
- Validity Period: 3 years (renewable).
Conclusion
By shifting the regulatory approach from transaction-level scrutiny to post-export compliance, OGEL plays a pivotal role in boosting ease of doing business for domestic manufacturers, integrating Indian MSMEs into global defence supply chains.
| This concept has been discussed elaborately in the following article: DEFENCE EXPORTS: EASING THE RULES |