Navigating the complexities of export order processing: challenges for Indian agri exporters

Purpose - The study aims to identify the major challenges encountered by Indian exporters of agricultural products in the course of fulfilling export orders. Design/methodology/approach - To achieve the objectives, a questionnaire and interview method are used to gather data from a randomly selected sample of 300 agri-exporters in Haryana, India. The study categorizes the various perceived constraints into problem variables or factors using factor analysis. Then, the aggregated scales are regressed against predictors, to validate the proposed hypotheses. Findings - The results demonstrate that the broad challenges faced by agri-exporters of India are related to logistics, technological and quality assurance, financial, supply-chain bottlenecks and customs-related documentation. Furthermore, the findings confirm that the predictors have a significant effect on the identified constraints. Notably, the export experience emerged as the most influential variable contributing to overcome the challenges faced by Indian agri-exporters. Research limitations/implications - The study’s exclusive focus on the exporter’s perspective limits a comprehensive understanding. Incorporating data from logistics providers, customs agents and financial institutions could offer a more holistic view of the challenges. Originality/value - The study offers new insights and contributes to the existing knowledge base by presenting a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by exporters and modeling them.