Export of Goods and Services- Simplification and Revision of Softex Procedure.
80 Dated:- 15-2-2012 Circular
FEMA
Superseded vide A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 20 dated 16-01-2026 w.e.f. 01-10-2026
RBI/2011/12/400
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 80
February 15, 2012
To
All Authorised Dealers in Foreign Exchange
Madam / Sir,
Export of Goods and Services-
Simplification and Revision of Softex Procedure
Attention of the Authorised Dealers is invited to Regulation 6 of the Notification No.FEMA 23/2000-RB dated May 3, 2000 viz. Foreign Exchange Management (Export of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2000, as amended by the Notification No.FEMA 36/2001-RB dated February 2, 2001, in terms of which designated officials of the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India at the Software Technology Parks of India (STPIs) or at Free Trade Zones (FTZs) or Export Processing Zones (EPZs) or Special Economic Zones(SEZs), had been authorised to certif
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PI within 30 days of their advice or any reasonable/extended time at the discretion of the Director, STPI, at the request from the exporter. STPI will thus certify the statement and SOFTEX forms in bulk on the “Top Sheet” regarding the values etc. and will thereafter forward the first copy of the revised SOFTEX format to the concerned Regional Office of RBI, the duplicate copy alongwith bulk statement in excel format to Authorised Dealers for negotiation / collection / settlement, the third copy to the exporter and the last copy will be retained by STPI for its own record. Under the revised procedure, the exporters, however, will have to provide information about all the invoices including the ones lesser than US$25000, in the bulk statement in excel format. [The revised procedure for submission of the Softex form and other relevant documents are detailed in the Annex.]
4. The new procedure will be effective initially in STPI Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai with
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nually.
D. Softex Number – Softex number shall be allocated/issued centrally by RBI once a year based on the requirements of exporter which can be about 200,000 numbers to be used by large exporters for the year for all locations. If the softex numbers are exhausted, the exporter can apply again to RBI for allotment of number. Exporters can use the allocated Softex number either for each invoice or for a group of invoices with same currency of a particular customer. Softex number would be the control number for identifying any of the export transaction.
E. Details of information – As per the template in Annexure A, which will broadly cover information as under
• Name and Address of the Exporter
• Letter of permission number and date
• Name of authorized data com service provider
• Import Export Code number
• Software Export Declaration
• Details of Export of Software during the period
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etails
• % age and amount of royalty
• Period of Royalty agreement
• Mode of realisation of Royalty value
• Calculation of Royalty amount
• The Authorized dealer's name should be given in Section A of individual bulk statement itself along with email id (Annexure A & B). If there are multiple ADs, then exporter may provide full details – i.e., Details such as bank name, address and Authorized Dealer code plus.
• Details of Letter of Credit(L/C) facilty availed by the exporter
• Details of Bank Guarantee taken by the exporter
• Details of the Bank Accounts into which the transfer/remittance are received
• Email id of the Exporter shall be specified to which the attested Bulk Softex statement will be sent
F. Soft copy Submission – Software Exports Declaration in summary excel sheet with above details.
G. Hard copy submission – Covering letter along with summary
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systems for further processing
L. Authorized Dealer will settle the Softex using AD internal control number based on details provided by Exporter on collections as per Annexure C.
2. Reporting of Software export Realizations to Authorized Dealer (AD)
Software Exporters can have collection account overseas or get credit directly in the bank accounts maintained in India, where individual invoices raised on customers are collected. After meeting “onsite” branch expenses, as permitted by FEMA, net amount will be remitted to India. This would also include 100% realization of offsite exports.
A. Periodicity – Quarterly
B. Applicability – Software exporters with annual turnover in excess of Rs. 1,000 crore or submitting in excess of 600 Softex forms annually.
C. Details of information – As per Annexure C, which will cover information as under
• Name and Address of the Exporter
• Import Export Code number
• Details of invoice wise collec
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in India from customers against exports of software
• Name and address of the Authorized Dealer at which the amount has been received
• Inward remittance details like FIRC number, date, amount and foreign currency
• Name and address of the Customer from which remittance has been received
• Documentation: FIRCs to be given to AD for endorsement along with above details
• Software exporters will furnish the credit notes to AD for invoices which have already been certified by STPI and settle the respective Softex forms.
3. Online Submission of Periodic Software Exports Declaration
STPI is in the process of computerizing the submission of Softex form. STPI would be required to ensure that the computerisation of the Softex forms and the populating of the data must be compatible to 'Softex Card Design' as detailed in Annexure E and be able to generate a report in 'ENC file format' as detailed in Anne
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Client
Country
Currency
Invoice
Number
Invoice
Date
(DD/MM/YY)
Internal project Type of SAV
code/Contract' Exported
Agreement No &
date
Offshore Export Value in Foreign
Currency (INVOICE_AMT)
SECTION-C
DECLARATION BY EXPORTER
We hereby declare that I/we am/are the seller of the software in respect of which this declaration is made and that the particulars given above are true and that the value to be received from the buyer
represents the export value contracted and declared above. I/we also declare that the software has been developed and exported by using authorised and legitimate datacom links.
I/We undertake that I/we will deliver to the bank named above the foreign exchange representing the full value of the software exported as above on or before
invoice / date of last invoice raised during a month), in the manner specified in the Regulations made under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
(i.e. within six months
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products exported during the Period raised from.
Name of Address Country Currency Invoice Invoice Date
Client of Client
to
Unique
Internal
Project
Offshore
Export
Type of
Details of Software Packages/Products exported
Mode of
sofware
value in
code/Cont
Inovice
ra1/
currency
Date Royalty agreement details realization Calculation
Exported GR/SDF/PP/ of
%=ge and Period of of Royalty of Royalty
SOFTEX
value
Export amount of Royalty
Form No. on
royalty agreement
amount
Agreement:
which
/PO Date
exports
were
declared
SECTION-C
DECLARATION BY EXPORTER
I/We hereby declare that live am/are the seller of the software in respect of which this declaration is made and that the particulars given above are true and that the value to be received from the
buyer represents the export value contracted and declared above. I/we also declare that the software has been developed and exported by using a
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ED FOR THE Qtr ENDED
1 Name and Address of the Exporter
2 Import Export Code:
3 Details of collections by Invoices in respective collections account
As per Attachment A
4 Details of Foreign Inward Remittances against software exports
As per Attachment B
We hereby declare that we are the seller of the software in respect of which this declaration is made out and the particulars
given above and the enclosed Annexures A and B are true. We also declare that the software has been developed and
exported by using authorized and legitimate datacom links.
We undertake that where full value of software exports are not realized within the prescribed time period, we shall notify
the same and seek necessary approvals for delayed remittance as per the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
Place:
Date:
S1
SOFTEX No
No
Attachment A
Signature of the Exporter
Name:
Designation
Details of Invoices for export of software against which export s
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nce against exports of software
Name of address of the
Sl No
Authorised Dealer
The remittance from our overseas bank accounts to our indian bank accounts are on need basis after payment of expenses in foreign currency
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17
Field
Annexure D
ENC File format
Format
Default Width
A.D. Code (Uniform Code 1)
Fortnight end Date
Date of Negotiation
Char (7)
YYYYMMDD
YYYYMMDD
Bill Number
Importer Exporter Code
GR/PP/SOFTEX Form Number
Shipping Bill Number (inclusive of 4 digit
port code in case of EDI transactions
7
8
8
Char (7) e.g. N000001
7
Char (10)
10
Char (8) e.g. AA000001
8
Char (11)
11
Shipping Bill Date
Custom Serial Number
YYYYMMDD
8
Char (10)
10
Currency
Char (3)
3
Invoice Value
Num. (10)
10
Country of Destination
Char (2)
Field
Format
Invoice Value
Num. (10)
Country of Destination
Char (
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