Acknowledging the need for a special export stimulus for states with no access to waterways for sending export shipments to other countries, the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, on Tuesday said the export promotion mission (EPM) will focus on enhancing their competitiveness in exports.
He also said the RoDTEP (Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products) scheme would be extended until 31 March 2026 for all eligible export categories to provide exporters with greater predictability.
At the fourth Board of Trade (BoT) meeting in New Delhi, which was attended by ministers of various state governments, senior officials from the government of India and states/UTs, Export Promotion Councils, industry associations and a large number of exporters and trade experts, Goyal stressed on the importance of a strong Centre-state partnership to boost export growth.
With an outlay of ₹25,060 crore, the long-standing EPM was approved on November 12 to address global uncertainties at the trade front. To be implemented for six financial years, beginning 2025-26, the mission will help exporters deal with high tariffs imposed by the US through two sub-schemes – Niryat Protsahan (₹10,401 crore) and Niryat Disha (₹14,659 crore).
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“The mission would incorporate targeted schemes to help landlocked states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, and Jharkhand, enhance their competitiveness in the export sector,” the minister said.
Reiterating India’s export strategy focus 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 – 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’.
Also speaking at the BoT meeting was Commerce Secretary, Rajesh Agarwal, who 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 export competitiveness.
The board, reconstituted in 2019, serves as an apex advisory body on policy measures related to the Foreign Trade Policy.
The meeting was important as the country’s exports fell by a steep 11.8 per cent to USD 34.38 billion in October due to the impact of high US tariffs, while the trade deficit widened to a record high of USD 41.68 billion, mainly due to a jump in gold imports.
During April-October this fiscal, exports increased marginally by 0.63 per cent to USD 254.25 billion, and imports rose 6.37 per cent to USD 451.08 billion.
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