Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday chaired a meeting with Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and industry bodies at Bharat Mandapam to chart the next steps for strengthening India’s export ecosystem following the India–New Zealand free trade agreement.
According to an official statement, representatives from 30 EPCs and leading industry chambers attended the meeting, along with senior officials from the Department of Commerce and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
Addressing the gathering, Goyal said India’s total merchandise and services exports touched a record $860.09 billion in FY 2025–26, marking a 4.22% year-on-year growth. He highlighted that sectors such as engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, gems and jewellery, and agri-based products have sustained export momentum despite global headwinds.
Calling the milestone a “springboard”, Goyal set an ambitious target of $2 trillion in exports by 2030 under the Viksit Bharat vision. He urged exporters to leverage free trade agreements with developed economies to expand market access, boost outbound shipments, and generate employment.
During the meeting, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade presented a detailed export reform framework, including sectoral performance reviews, a KPI-based evaluation system for EPCs, promotion of e-commerce exports, and the Districts as Export Hubs initiative. It also outlined plans for a Digital Trade Academy, measures to address disruptions arising from the West Asia crisis, and steps to expedite the Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC) process.
The DGFT stressed the need for EPCs to act as equal partners with the government in diversifying markets, onboarding more MSMEs into the export ecosystem, and driving technology adoption to ensure measurable outcomes.
Industry representatives raised concerns over compliance costs, testing requirements, and challenges faced by MSMEs in accessing global markets. Goyal assured continued government support through facilitation measures and targeted interventions aimed at reducing entry barriers and improving ease of doing business.
Key industry bodies present included the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, Apparel Export Promotion Council, Engineering Export Promotion Council of India, NASSCOM, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others.
Goyal also reviewed progress under the Export Promotion Mission and called on EPCs to expand the exporter base and explore new markets, reiterating the government’s commitment to building a facilitative trade ecosystem through reforms and close industry collaboration.
(With inputs from ANI)
