Commerce Ministry to meet for plan to increase exports

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jun 4, 2019

The government Ministry of Commerce will meet with a number of trade groups on June 6 to discuss how to increase India’s exports in the context of a more challenging global landscape.

Representatives of both central and state governments, industry groups, and exporters will meet on Thursday to discuss how to increase India’s exports, an official source told the Press Trust of India.  The Council for Trade Development and Promotion and the Board of Trade will also meet to discuss the issue, the source said. 

The Board of Trade will seek industry stakeholders’ views for its upcoming foreign trade policy as it advises the government on how to boost trade. The Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who was appointed on May 31, will lead the June 6 meeting, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash told reporters in Punjab. 

The Indian government has worked to increase exports and domestic production as part of its “Make in India” campaign for the last few years. The campaign has had a special focus on textile production, especially of sustainable and heritage weaves. 

As India competes with Bangladesh and Southeast Asia in the international textiles market, the government hopes to achieve the dual aim of reducing India’s textile and clothing imports for domestic customers by encouraging Indian customers to buy local and increasing its exports by negotiating trade deals and increasing production. The Indian fashion industry as a whole has also championed Indian textiles of late which the government has been keen to support.