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Are you looking to obtain NPOP certification for your organic or agricultural products? Get Corpbiz expert assistance to certify your organic products under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). It is required for agricultural products exported as organic from India.
NPOP (i.e., National Programme for Organic Production) certification is a government-based initiative that ensures establishing of standards for organic production, processing, and trade. The grant of NPOP certification is a way for farmers and businesses to demonstrate the production of products using organic farming practices.
The NPOP organic certification further ensures meeting consumer demand for organic products for promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Are you struggling with the challenges of securing NPOP certification? Reach out to our NPOP Certificate consultants for clear guidance, hassle-free support, and a smooth path to NPOP registration success!
NPOP, which stands for National Programme for Organic Production, launched in 2001, sets standards for the organic production, systems, and accreditation procedures for certification bodies. It is further formulated in harmony with other international standards regulating the usage of the National (India Organic) logo and the import & export of organic products. NPOP lays a foundation for the systematic development of the organic agriculture sector in the country. The standards governing the NPOP work in harmony with other International Standards for import and export of organic products.
The launch of NPOP in 2000, which ensures the grant of farm and livestock certification for organic commodities, was the first milestone for the organic quality assurance system within the country. According to 2024 statistics (FIBL & IFOAM Year Book), India ranks 2nd in terms of the World’s Organic Agricultural land and 1st in terms of the total number of producers.
The market access of the NPOP certification in India granted under the APEDA, Ministry of Commerce allows access to both domestic and international organic markets. It further allows a major export of organic products worldwide.
The objectives of NPOP organic certification revolve around promoting the quality of organic products in India. Have a look over some of the objectives of NPOP organic certification, as provided below:
NPOP registration, which guarantees the consumption of chemical-free and safe products attracts several benefits towards the organization. Some of the benefits of NPOP registration for an organization are as discussed below:
The NPOP registration enhances the customer’s confidence and satisfaction towards organic products undergoing a rigorous certification process.
The NPOP registration, which guarantees the licensing of organic products, enhances its demand and credibility within the marketplace. It further assists in the recognition of your organization as an organic supplier within the relative markets.
The organic farming practices receiving NPOP registration further contribute to the preservation of soil, health, biodiversity, ecological balance, and sustainable agriculture practices.
The organic NPOP registration guarantees certification of products that are chemical & pesticide-free, hence genetically modified organisms, which prioritizes the health and well-being of consumers.
The grant of an NPOP license in accordance with the recognized organic standards facilitates your organization’s entry & export within the competitive international marketplaces.
The eligibility criteria for NPOP certification online varies depending upon the type of applicant seeking NPOP license. The details of the eligibility criteria are as discussed below:
The documents required for receiving NPOP certification online are enlisted below:
The process to apply for NPOP certificate, which is a third-party certification, starts with the adoption of the National Standard of Organic Production (NSOP).
The applicants must initially determine the eligibility criteria required for the certification of organic products as construed under the NPOP standards.
Selection of the regulatory/ certification body accredited by the APEDA regulating the grant of organic certification in consonance with the NPOP standards is the next crucial step required for NPOP licensing.
The applicant must file an application, including details about the farm, crops, and livestock, to a certification body accredited by the National Programme for Organic Production or another recognized certification body.
The applicant must further prepare and proceed with the submission of necessary documents, including a copy of organic farming certification, details of the organic production system, organic input used, production plan, quality control measures, and other documents as specified by APEDA.
Once the application is submitted, APEDA or the designated authority shall conduct an inspection and verification of the organic production system, which involves visiting the farm or production site to assess compliance with organic farming practices and standards.
After fulfilling the prescribed criteria for inspection and verification, the Committee is further authorized for the grant of NPOP license. The grant of certification for NPOP must be made in case if the farm ensures compliance with the organic farming standards.
On receipt of the NPOP certification, APEDA, on behalf of the National Accreditation Body (NAB), shall conduct an annual screening/ review of the duly certified farms and farm products adhering to the organic certification standards.
The scope of the National Programme for Organic Production certification is comprehensive, which includes policies for the development and certification of organic products and national standards for those products and processes. NPOP further takes into account the accreditation of programs to be operated by inspection and certification agencies.
The National Programme for Organic Production is a method of farming that works at grass root level, preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of social, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management. The scope of NPOP has been recognized by the European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their country's standards.
The operational structure of NPOP registration, including government bodies that govern and set standards for the effective functioning of NPOP are, as explained below:
Department of Commerce (DOC) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, is an apex body responsible for the supervision of the National Programme for Organic Production. The Department further deals with managing the overall structure and working of NPOP governed by the directions and guidance of DOC.
National Steering Committee (NSC), headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is the highest policy making body held responsible for providing strategic guidance and overseeing the implementation of NPOP. NSC further includes representatives from various government departments, industry associations, and non-governmental organizations.
The National Accreditation Body (NAB) is held responsible for accrediting the certification bodies that carry out inspections and certifications of organic products. It further ensures compliance with NPOP guidelines and standards for monitoring and assessing the performance of certification bodies.
The Agriculture & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a body that works as a secretariat for the implementation of NPOP and its registration process. APEDA ensures meeting the requirements of ISO 17011 for the accreditation of the certification bodies under the NPOP.
Technical Committee (TC) ensures the smooth functioning of NPOP and its registration. The TC ensures the formulating of many technical standards, suggests amendments to the existing rules, reviews the current standards and advice the NSC on various issues related to the organic sector. This committee further guides various committees on various relevant issues related to the organic field.
The Evaluation Committee (EC), formulated by NAB, ensures the evaluation of implementation programs made by the various committees at least once a year. EC, which comprises members who are experts in agriculture, shall have a minimum of three experts with at least 2 members quorum. The committee shall further evaluate the committees at least once a year & end certain documents to APEDA.
Certification Bodies (CB) are agencies licensed by the National Accreditation Body under NPOP for certifying organic products. The certification process which starts with an application by the producer or handler of the organic product, shall conduct an inspection to verify the product that meets the standard for NPOP.
The categories under the National Programme for Organic Production standards are approved under the NPOP from time to time, including:
The standard procedure for inspection and NPOP organic certification at the production farms (comprising individual and growing groups), processing units (sub-contracted units), wild collection, as well as at all stages in handling (packaging, storage units, shipments, etc.) comprises-
The grant of NPOP Certification online under the APEDA, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India shall be held valid for a period of 3 years from the date of its issuance.
The timeline for accreditation of NPOP certification in India varies depending upon the type of unit registered for application. In general, it takes around 3 months to 6 months for the grant of NPOP certification, totally depending upon the processing of inspection reports and certification decisions.
At Corpbiz, our team of professionals are assisting agripreneurs in securing online NPOP certification in India. Reach out to our NPOP Certificate Consultants to comply with the eligibility and document requirements necessitating the grant of an NPOP license in India. Given below are the reasons why we are the first choice of agripreneurs for NPOP certification in India-
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Written by Neha Dawra. Last updated on Jun 15 2026, 05:55 PM
Neha Dawra has 4+ years of experience in legal research and intellectual property advisory. Her expertise lies in analyzing IP laws, drafting structured legal content, and simplifying complex registration procedures into clear, simple insights.
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Corpbiz helped me get my NPOP Certification without any complications. Their team guided me through the entire documentation and inspection process smoothly.
The NPOP Certification process seemed complex at first, but Corpbiz experts handled everything professionally. Now we can export our organic products with confidence.
