As per the public notice issued on 17 December 2025, the current round of allocation will be restricted to 30 metric tonnes of gold. This first lot has been exclusively reserved for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), with eligibility limited to entities holding valid BIS registration and GST identification. The maximum quantity that can be applied for is capped at 10 kg for Micro enterprises and 25 kg for Small enterprises.

The allocation will be carried out through a competitive e-auction process conducted on the MSTC portal. Interested bidders are required to submit both technical and financial bids within the prescribed timeline. DGFT clarified that gold dore imports will not be considered under this TRQ.

The TRQ authorisation issued by DGFT will allow successful bidders to avail concessional customs duty rates at the time of import from the UAE, in line with India’s commitments under the CEPA. The tentative schedule indicates that TRQ allocation and issuance of authorisations will be completed in the second week of January 2026.

DGFT also noted that any request to broaden eligibility beyond MSEs may be considered after review, given that a significant portion of the financial year has already elapsed.