Organic Certification in India: NPOP vs PGS Explained for Export Buyers

Quick answer: NPOP is India's third-party organic certification run under APEDA, and it is the only Indian organic certification valid for export. PGS-India is a low-cost peer-group system for the domestic market only; PGS produce cannot be exported as organic. For the EU, NPOP is recognised as equivalent; for the USA, you need a USDA-accredited certifier.

Key Takeaways

• NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production) is run by APEDA under the Ministry of Commerce. Certification is done by 42 accredited certification bodies (list as on 1 April 2026).
• PGS-India is run by the Ministry of Agriculture's National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming. Groups need at least 5 farmers, and produce cannot be exported as organic.
• The EU recognises NPOP as equivalent, but that recognition, like those of 10 other countries, expires on 31 December 2026 unless the EU finalises an extension now under negotiation.
• The USA ended its recognition of APEDA's system on 11 January 2021. Indian organic exports to the US must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifier and carry an NOP Import Certificate.
• In 2024-25, India exported 368,155 tonnes of certified organic products worth ₹5,394 crore (about US$666 million), per APEDA.

What is NPOP organic certification?

NPOP organic certification is third-party certification of farms, processors and traders against India's National Standards for Organic Production. APEDA, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, administers it, and accredited certification bodies carry out inspections and issue certificates.

The standard is now in its 8th edition, released in October 2024. It covers crop production, livestock, apiculture, aquaculture, mushroom production, wild collection, processing, handling and trading. Certified products may carry the India Organic logo.

NPOP is also the legal gateway for organic exports: a product exported from India as organic must be certified under NPOP. Domestically, the FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 accept both NPOP and PGS-India for organic food sold in India.

The scale is large. APEDA's NPOP certification data for 2024-25 shows 3.97 million hectares under certification (including land in conversion), plus wild harvest collection, with over 2.18 million farmers, most of them in 5,566 grower groups. Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have the largest certified areas.

What is PGS-India?

PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System) is a government-run organic quality assurance system in which farmers in a local group inspect and certify each other, under the oversight of Regional Councils. It is operated through the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare's National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming.

• A local group needs at least 5 farmers from the same or nearby villages.
• Regional Councils approve registrations, oversee peer appraisals and handle appeals.
• Farms get the PGS-Green label while in conversion and PGS-Organic after conversion is complete.
• It is designed to be affordable for small and marginal farmers, and is used under schemes such as Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
• PGS-certified products cannot be exported as organic. They can only be exported as conventional produce.

For an overseas buyer, the last point is the one that matters. A supplier offering organic produce with only a PGS certificate cannot legally ship it to you as organic.

NPOP vs PGS: key differences

NPOP is third-party, export-grade certification; PGS is peer-based, domestic-only certification. The table sums up the differences buyers ask about most.

Is Indian organic certification recognised in the EU and US?

For the EU, yes, for now. For the US, no: Indian exporters need direct USDA organic certification. Both positions are changing, so check the latest status before contracting.

European Union

The EU has recognised India's NPOP control system as equivalent since 2008, for unprocessed plant products and processed plant-based products. Under Regulation (EU) 2018/848, existing third-country equivalence recognitions run only until 31 December 2026.

In December 2025 the European Commission proposed extending recognition for India and 10 other countries to 31 December 2036. The Council backed that date in its May 2026 mandate, while the European Parliament's agriculture committee voted in July 2026 for 31 December 2031. Trilogue talks were due in autumn 2026, with both sides aiming to agree before year end. Until an extension is adopted, EU buyers should plan for either outcome, for example by confirming whether their Indian supplier also holds certification from an EU-recognised control body.

Every organic consignment into the EU also needs an electronic Certificate of Inspection (COI) in the EU's TRACES system, issued on the basis of the exporter's NPOP documents.

United States

The USDA ended its recognition agreement with APEDA on 11 January 2021, with a transition that closed on 12 July 2022. According to USDA AMS guidance on India, organic products imported from India must now be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent, and shipments need an electronic NOP Import Certificate plus India's TraceNet transaction certificate where applicable.

In practice, most Indian organic exporters to the US hold dual certification: NPOP (required to export from India) and USDA NOP (required to sell as organic in the US). The US was still India's largest organic export destination by volume in 2024-25, at 131,307 tonnes.

Other markets

APEDA also lists arrangements with Switzerland, Taiwan and Australia. The UK, Canada, Japan and others have their own rules, so importers should check with their own organic authority and ask the supplier for the matching certificate.

How NPOP certification works: step by step

An operator applies to an accredited certification body, converts the land under supervision, passes inspections and then receives a scope certificate. Each export shipment then needs a transaction certificate issued through TraceNet.

• Choose an APEDA-accredited certification body whose scope covers your activity (crop, processing, wild collection, trade).
• Apply with farm or unit details, maps, field history and, for groups, the Internal Control System (ICS) manual and farmer list.
• Sign the certification agreement and pay the fee as per the body's published fee scale.
• Start the conversion period under the body's supervision; land data and inspections are recorded on TraceNet.
• Pass annual inspections (and unannounced ones), including sampling for pesticide residues where required.
• Receive the scope certificate listing certified products and quantities once conversion is complete.
• Before each export, request a transaction certificate (TC) from the body for that consignment through TraceNet.
• Renew each year through re-inspection; the certificate lists its own validity.

Under the NPOP standard, the conversion period is generally two years before sowing for annual crops and three years before harvest for perennial crops. The certification body can extend or, with strong evidence, recognise part of the period, so ask it early.

Documents an export buyer should ask for

Ask for documents that can be checked online, not just PDFs. A genuine NPOP operator will appear in APEDA's TraceNet records and on the certification body's public list.

Which inputs are allowed in NPOP organic farming?

NPOP allows inputs listed in its annexes for soil fertility and for pest and disease control. Synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, synthetic growth regulators and GMOs are not allowed.

• Soil fertility: compost, farmyard manure, vermicompost, green manure, crop residues, rock phosphate, and microbial biofertilizers such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter and phosphate solubilizing bacteria.
• Pest and disease control: neem-based preparations, botanical extracts, microbial biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma, Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus, plus limited use of copper and sulphur as the standard allows.
• Seed and planting material: organic where available; untreated conventional seed only when permitted by the certification body.

A permitted substance is not the same as an approved product. A commercial input may contain carriers, stickers or additives that are not allowed, so certification bodies often ask for the composition or an input approval before use. Farmers typically use products such as an Azotobacter biofertilizer, enriched vermicompost or a 10000 ppm neem oil only after checking acceptability with their certification body. Follow the product label and local agriculture officer advice on dose.

Common red flags for buyers

Most organic fraud cases involve paperwork that looks right but does not match the shipment. Watch for these signs.

• The supplier offers only a PGS certificate for export goods.
• The certificate is in a different legal name from the exporter on the invoice.
• The scope certificate does not list the product or the quantity is far below what is offered.
• The supplier cannot provide a TraceNet transaction certificate before shipment.
• For US orders, the supplier holds only NPOP and no USDA-accredited certification.
• Prices far below the market for certified product with no clear reason.

What to do next

If you are buying for the EU, confirm your supplier's NPOP status now and follow the EU decision on the equivalence extension, due by the end of 2026. If you are buying for the US, insist on USDA-accredited certification and NOP Import Certificates from the start.

If you are an Indian grower group aiming for export, begin with an ICS and a certification body early, as conversion takes two to three years. PGS is a sensible first step for the domestic market, but plan the move to NPOP if export is the goal.