Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal said that India must expand its economy and create more employment opportunities by increasing exports, emphasising the need for strong collaboration between the Central Government and the States to drive export expansion and diversification. The fourth meeting of the reconstituted Board of Trade (BoT), chaired by Shri Goyal, was held in New Delhi today, where the Minister highlighted the resilient performance of the Indian economy amid global volatility and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to accelerating export growth.

Shri Goyal stated that the Export Promotion Mission would incorporate targeted schemes to help landlocked States enhance their competitiveness in the export sector. He noted that, based on inputs received from States, the Ministry of Commerce would work closely with relevant agencies to identify effective and timely solutions to emerging challenges.

Underscoring the importance of quality, the Minister said that India’s global reputation as a reliable exporter hinges on ensuring the highest standards in every product and consignment. He emphasized that maintaining consistency in quality is essential for strengthening India’s position in global markets and building long-term trust with international partners.

Shri Goyal urged States to actively share their successful models and best practices, particularly in areas such as Ease of Doing Business and Single Window clearance systems. He noted that learning from States that have demonstrated strong performance in these domains would not only help others streamline their processes but also create a spirit of healthy competition. Such collaborative efforts, he added, would contribute to more efficient governance, improved facilitation for exporters and ultimately better outcomes across the country.

The Board of Trade—reconstituted in 2019 through the merger of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion with the BoT—continues to serve as the apex advisory body on policy measures related to the Foreign Trade Policy aimed at strengthening India’s trade ecosystem.

The Minister provided an overview of progress made on initiatives announced during earlier BoT meetings. A major achievement has been the rapid scale-up of the Trade Connect ePlatform, launched in September 2024, which now integrates services from Indian Missions, the Department of Commerce, DGFT, Export Promotion Councils, Exim Bank and other partners. With over 62 lakh platform visits, more than 18 lakh registered users, multilingual accessibility, digital consolidation of Certificates of Origin (over 22 lakh issued), and extensive support for MSMEs through market intelligence and product-compliance tools, the platform is emerging as a comprehensive digital gateway for exporters.

He further highlighted the strong performance of the Jan Sunwai video-conferencing module, which has resolved 3,377 out of 3,518 grievances, achieving a closure rate of 96% and reflecting the Ministry’s commitment to citizen-centric service delivery.

The Minister noted that the extension of the RoDTEP scheme until 31 March 2026 for all eligible export categories provides predictability for exporters. He also pointed out that India’s trade diplomacy has gained momentum, with landmark FTAs concluded over the past two years—including the India–EFTA TEPA (March 2024) and the India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (July 2025)—and with negotiations underway with several other major partners. He stressed that the newly launched Export Promotion Mission will establish a coordinated, system-driven framework involving government, industry and academia to support sector-specific strategies and long-term export growth.

States presented best practices on export promotion and Ease of Doing Business, fostering mutual learning and cooperation. Shri Goyal reiterated that India’s export strategy now focuses on market diversification, logistics reforms, MSME empowerment and technology adoption—critical pillars for deepening integration with global value chains and positioning India as a competitive and trusted trading partner.

Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agarwal underlined the need to strengthen last-mile connectivity between exporters and government support systems. He highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to expanding digital public infrastructure for trade, ensuring faster resolution of trade-related issues, and improving inter-agency coordination to enhance India’s export competitiveness.

DGFT and Additional Secretary Shri Ajay Bhadoo emphasised the Directorate’s efforts to make all trade-facilitation services fully digital and paperless. He noted that DGFT initiatives—particularly the Trade Connect ePlatform and digital Certificates of Origin—aim to simplify procedures for MSMEs, lower transaction costs and help exporters leverage new opportunities arising from FTAs and global demand diversification.

The meeting witnessed active participation from Ministers from various State Governments. Minister Finance Department, Gujarat, Shri Kamleshbhai Patel; Cabinet Minister Industries, Commerce and Public Affairs Department, Assam, Shri Bimal Borah; Minister of Industries, Bihar, Shri Dilip Kumar Jaiswal; Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Rajasthan, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore; Commerce & Industry Minister, Tripura, Ms. Santana Chakma; Minister for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI, Investment Promotion Uttar Pradesh, Shri Nand Gopal Gupta; Cabinet Agriculture Minister, Uttarakhand, Shri Ganesh Joshi; Minister for Transport, Industries, Goa, Shri Mauvin Godinho; Commerce & Industry Minister, Andhra Pradesh, Shri T.G Bharath; Minister for Industries, Chhattisgarh, Shri L L Dewangan. Senior officials from Government of India and States/UTs, Export Promotion Councils, industry associations, exporters and trade experts. Their engagement reinforced the collaborative approach towards building a robust, technology-enabled, and globally competitive trade ecosystem for India.

***

Abhishek Dayal/ Ishita Biswas

(Release ID: 2194174) Visitor Counter : 351