SCOMET list explained for Indian exporters and compliance teams
SCOMET is India's controlled-export list for dual-use items. Learn its full form, categories, licensing authorities and where to find DGFT's latest list.
The SCOMET full form is Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies. It is India's export-control list for dual-use items, including software and technology. SCOMET exports generally require authorisation unless an exemption applies, and the licensing authority depends on the category. See the Mumbai Customs explanation and DAE's category and authority table.
For an exporter, the main task is to compare the product with the actual control entry. A broad category name cannot settle classification. Use the overview below to find the relevant part of the list, then read that entry's technical scope and conditions.
What is SCOMET and where is the list?
The SCOMET list is Appendix 3 to Schedule 2 of the ITC(HS) export policy. DGFT's Import, Export and SCOMET Policy page labels that schedule "Export Policy - ITC(HS) 2022". The 2022 label is the schedule's place in the portal, not the edition date of the SCOMET list. Schedule 1, the import policy, also has an Appendix 3. That import appendix covers items under mandatory BIS certification, so it will not answer an export classification question.
SCOMET covers more than chemicals. Mumbai Customs calls it the national export control list, and the category overview includes organisms, materials, equipment, munitions and technology. That Customs answer also puts software inside the regulated dual-use scope. Don't limit a review to the physical goods named on an order. Compare the goods with the relevant entries in the official list.
For a review involving an Indian supplier, ask which list entry supports the proposed classification. If the answer names only a category, return to the technical text. Keep the product specifications beside that text and note any difference you cannot resolve.
Keep the list separate from the permission to export. Finding a control entry helps establish the classification question. It does not grant authorisation. And don't treat a declaration about SCOMET status as a substitute for any required export permission. The general restriction and exemption principle is explained in the Customs FAQ.
SCOMET categories and licensing authorities
The Department of Atomic Energy describes nine categories, numbered 0 to 8, with category 7 reserved. Its table also identifies the licensing authorities. The following summarises that official DAE overview. The DAE page was last updated on 20 September 2024. This is a category overview, not a transcription of the September 2025 technical list; check the current entries before classifying an item.
| Category | Scope summary | Licensing authority |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Nuclear materials, nuclear-related other materials, equipment and technology | Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) |
| 1 | Toxic chemical agents and other chemicals | DGFT |
| 2 | Micro-organisms and toxins | DGFT |
| 3 | Materials, materials-processing equipment and related technologies | DGFT |
| 4 | Nuclear-related other equipment and technology not controlled under category 0 | DGFT |
| 5 | Aerospace systems and equipment, including production and test equipment, and related technology | DGFT |
| 6 | Munitions List | Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence |
| 7 | Reserved | No active licensing category in this overview |
| 8 | Summary: special materials and related equipment, material processing, electronics, computers, telecommunications, information security, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics, marine, aerospace and propulsion | DGFT |
These headings help you locate possible entries. They do not mean that every chemical, computer or electronic item is controlled. For a product decision, compare its specifications with the actual entry and conditions in DGFT's current displayed list.
The authority split also prevents a common routing error. DGFT is not the licensing authority for every controlled category. Category 0 goes to DAE, while category 6 falls under DDP. DAE separately confirms that applications for category 0 export authorisation must be made to DAE.
When is a SCOMET licence required under the policy?
SCOMET items are restricted for export. For a listed item, start from the authorisation requirement, then check whether an exemption in the Foreign Trade Policy covers the transaction. The Customs FAQ calls this an "export authorization (license)" and names DGFT in that general answer. Read it with the DAE authority table. That general DGFT reference does not cover categories 0 and 6.
The definition answer on the same Customs page is sharper. It says an item is either prohibited or permitted under an authorisation unless specifically exempted. A list match is not a forecast that the shipment will be allowed. If you rely on an exemption, read its conditions. Another exporter's route may not fit your goods. Keep two questions separate: which entry describes the item, and what permits this export?
Unlisted items and catch-all controls
An unlisted item is not automatically free of export controls. DAE says section 14C of the FTDR Act, 1992, as amended, deals with catch-all controls, and it quotes a trigger that is written notification by DGFT or the exporter's own knowledge or reason to believe that the stated end-use risks exist. See DAE's catch-all explanation.
Those risks are use in, or diversion to, weapons of mass destruction, their missile systems or military end-use, including by terrorists and non-state actors. The export may then be denied, or allowed only with a licence. This is not a rule that every unlisted item needs a SCOMET licence. It is a reason to assess end-use even after no list entry matches, as described in the DAE FAQ.
Which SCOMET list should you use?
As checked on 31 October 2026, the latest edition displayed by DGFT is the 2025 list, dated 23 September 2025. Its title is "Updated SCOMET List 2025 (as on 23.09.2025)". Get it from the official SCOMET list page, rather than starting from an old saved copy.
DGFT's notification index lists Notification 31/2025-26, dated 23 September 2025, with the title "Updation in SCOMET List 2025 as on 23.09.2025". That index line identifies the instrument. It does not, by itself, state the legal effect. Read the notification. Use the official notification index when checking amendments.
A search for "SCOMET list 2017" or "SCOMET list 2022" can lead you to a historical edition. But a saved PDF from either year is the wrong starting point for a shipment you plan to make now. Start with DGFT's latest displayed edition and check relevant notifications and public notices. The policy page and public-notice index are the official starting points.
The date on a downloaded list is not proof that no later amendment applies. A website's update date is not an amendment date either. Keep the list edition and the relevant instruments separate in your review, and check the live official pages before relying on a saved PDF.
A practical reading order for exporters
Use this as a reading method, not as a statutory application checklist. None of these steps replaces the entry text.
- Open DGFT's official SCOMET page and obtain the latest displayed list. Note the edition you are using.
- Use the category overview to locate possible entries. Compare the full technical entry with your product specifications, rather than classifying from the heading alone.
- Identify the competent authority. Consult the applicable permission or exemption conditions before choosing a route.
- Assess end-user and end-use concerns. A product outside the list still needs attention where the catch-all circumstances arise.
- Check relevant notifications and public notices before completing your review. Do not assume an older classification remains suitable without checking the source text.
Record the entry and conditions you relied on so the decision can be reviewed. If the technical scope remains unclear, resolve that question before treating the category table as clearance. RegAffairs AI also explains the distinction between a declaration and an authorisation in its SCOMET answer.