Posted On:
12 NOV 2026 6:02PM by PIB Raipur
The Department of Commerce, Government of India, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce & Industries, Government of Chhattisgarh, today organised a State-level workshop, “Leveraging FTAs – Outreach Programme”, in Raipur. The workshop aimed to build awareness among the State's industries and exporters of the opportunities opened up by India's recently signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and to chart sector-wise strategies for deeper utilisation of these agreements.
From the Government of Chhattisgarh: Shri Lakhan Lal Dewangan, Hon'ble Minister, Commerce & Industries; Shri Rajeev Agrawal, Chairman, CSIDC; Shri Rajat Kumar, Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries; Shri Prabhat Malik, IAS, Director, Directorate of Industries.
From the Government of India: Shri Manish Chadha, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce; Dr. Praveen Kumar, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, DGFT Regional Authority, Raipur; and Shri Girdhari Lal, DGFT Headquarters. Representatives of APEDA, TRIFED, Export Promotion Councils, industry associations and a large number of exporters also took part. The workshop included breakout sessions where exporters discussed about opportunities in Agriculture, Engineering, Handicrafts, Textiles and E commerce sectors of the State.
FTAs: A Significant Opportunity for Chhattisgarh
Addressing the workshop, the Minister said Chhattisgarh's exports stood at about USD 2 billion last year, led by rice, steel, ferro-alloys and aluminium, alongside forest produce such as honey, lac, mahua and tamarind, and handicrafts such as Dhokra and Kosa. India has signed FTAs with the UAE, Australia, Oman, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and the agreement with the European Union is expected to come into force in 2027. According to the Department of Commerce, 93 of the State's 95 export products now enjoy duty concessions in at least one partner market. The 5% duty on the State's steel and aluminium in Gulf countries is now zero, and the UK has eliminated duties of 18% on broken rice and 17% on honey.
The State has notified the Chhattisgarh Export Promotion Policy 2026–30, which aims to double exports by 2030 and raise the State's share in India's exports from 0.5% to 1%.
Announcements by the Hon'ble C&I Minister
Chhattisgarh FTA Accelerator — a proposed initiative to hand-hold exporters from start to finish.
Chhattisgarh FTA Guidebook — complete information on FTAs in simple language.
FTA workshops in all divisions — by February 2027, reaching every district of the State.
“Our goal is that Chhattisgarh should not remain only a producer of raw materials, but become a major hub for manufacturing and exporting finished products,” said Shri Lakhan Lal Dewangan. “The Government of Chhattisgarh stands with every industrialist, exporter and entrepreneur. Let us together make the most of India's FTAs and take ‘Made in Chhattisgarh’ to markets across the world.”
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