After strengthening its manufacturing capabilities, India’s next priority should be to rapidly expand exports, with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) needing to improve product quality, lower costs and scale up operations to take advantage of growing access to international markets, Yashvir Singh, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, said on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the third edition of the CII Manufacturing Conclave, Singh said the government was continuing to develop industrial corridors, manufacturing hubs, connectivity infrastructure and other facilities to support domestic production. However, he said the focus was now increasingly shifting towards ensuring that higher manufacturing capacity translates into a significant rise in exports.
“After manufacturing, our next focus is on exports,” Singh said, emphasising that stronger manufacturing capabilities, efficient production routes and high-quality products would create the foundation for rapid export growth.
He said the government was working on a national corridor along with industrial hubs and estates, while also improving connectivity to ports, roads and sea routes. Such infrastructure would help manufacturers move their products more efficiently from production centres to domestic and overseas markets.
The objective, he said, was not merely to increase manufacturing within the country but also to ensure that products could be transported efficiently and competitively to international destinations.
Singh also highlighted the opportunities available to Indian businesses following the country's recent free trade agreements (FTAs) with the European Union and the United Kingdom. The agreements are expected to provide wider market access to Indian exporters across several sectors, including industries where MSMEs have a significant presence.
However, he cautioned that market access alone would not guarantee success for Indian companies. MSMEs would have to strengthen their competitiveness and meet the requirements of global buyers in terms of quality, pricing and production capacity. “So, you have to improve your quality, reduce your price, and increase your scale. This is the basic mantra of MSMEs,” Singh said.
He stressed that Indian manufacturers would need to use the opportunities created by trade agreements effectively by producing globally competitive goods. Greater scale could help businesses reduce costs, improve efficiency and meet larger international orders, while consistent quality would be essential to retaining overseas customers.
At the CII Manufacturing Conclave, Rajeev Singh Thakur, Programme Director at NITI Aayog, also urged industry to make greater use of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan to improve manufacturing competitiveness and develop more efficient supply chains.
The platform currently has nearly 1,600 GIS-based layers covering critical infrastructure such as railways, roads, ports, airports and waterways. Thakur said businesses could use the platform to make more informed decisions about industrial locations, logistics networks and supply-chain planning.
Also read: Core sector output rises 5.4 pc in July
Better integration of infrastructure and logistics could help reduce transportation costs, improve delivery times and make Indian manufacturing more competitive in global markets. Efficient supply chains would also be important for MSMEs seeking to participate in international production networks.
The conclave also saw the release of a report titled Champions & Challengers: A Trade Competitiveness Assessment of India's Strategic Manufacturing Sectors. The report examined sectors including bearings, hearables and wearables, tyres, titanium and footwear.
The report identifies areas where India has developed competitive capabilities as well as gaps that need to be addressed to strengthen the country's manufacturing ecosystem.
The discussions at the conclave underline the government's broader objective of moving beyond expanding domestic manufacturing capacity and building a stronger export-oriented industrial base. With improved infrastructure, greater market access and stronger MSME competitiveness, India is seeking to convert its manufacturing expansion into faster and more sustainable export growth.
Follow us
