Union Minister Piyush Goyal Calls for Strong Centre-State Collaboration to Enhance India’s Export Growth
Focus on Landlocked States Under Export Promotion Mission
Emphasis on Quality Standards and Best-Practice Sharing
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal said that India should expand its economy and create additional employment opportunities by increasing exports, highlighting the need for close cooperation between the Central Government and the States to support export growth and diversification. The fourth meeting of the reconstituted Board of Trade, chaired by Shri Goyal, took place in New Delhi today, where he discussed the steady performance of the Indian economy despite global challenges and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to accelerating export expansion.
Shri Goyal stated that the Export Promotion Mission would include targeted initiatives to support landlocked States in enhancing their competitiveness in the export sector. He added that the Ministry of Commerce would work with relevant agencies to identify effective and timely solutions to emerging issues based on feedback from States.
He underlined the importance of quality, stating that India’s reputation as a dependable exporter depends on maintaining the highest standards in every product and consignment. He emphasized that consistent quality is essential for strengthening India’s standing in global markets and building long-term trust with international partners.
Shri Goyal encouraged States to share successful models and best practices, especially related to Ease of Doing Business and Single Window clearance systems. He noted that learning from States that have shown strong performance in these areas would help others improve their processes and foster healthy competition. Such collaborative efforts, he said, would lead to more efficient governance, better support for exporters and improved outcomes across the country.
The Board of Trade, reconstituted in 2019 through the merger of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion with the BoT, continues to function as the key advisory body on policy initiatives connected to the Foreign Trade Policy to enhance India’s trade ecosystem.
Shri Goyal provided a brief on progress made on commitments from previous Board of Trade meetings. He highlighted the rapid growth of the Trade Connect ePlatform, launched in September 2024, which now integrates services from Indian Missions, the Department of Commerce, DGFT, Export Promotion Councils, Exim Bank and other partners. With over 62 lakh visits, more than 18 lakh registered users, multilingual access, digital consolidation of over 22 lakh Certificates of Origin and tools supporting MSMEs through market intelligence and compliance resources, the platform is becoming a comprehensive digital support system for exporters.
He also noted the effective performance of the Jan Sunwai video-conferencing module, which has resolved 3,377 of 3,518 grievances, achieving a 96 percent closure rate and reflecting the Ministry’s focus on citizen-centric service delivery.
The Minister pointed out that the extension of the RoDTEP scheme until 31 March 2026 for all eligible export sectors offers predictability for exporters. He stated that India’s trade diplomacy has advanced, with important FTAs concluded in the past two years, including the India-EFTA TEPA in March 2024 and the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement in July 2025, along with ongoing negotiations with other major partners. He said that the newly launched Export Promotion Mission will create a coordinated, system-driven framework involving government, industry and academia to support sector-specific strategies and long-term export development.
States shared best practices on export promotion and Ease of Doing Business, encouraging mutual learning and collaboration. Shri Goyal reiterated that India’s export approach now focuses on market diversification, logistics reforms, MSME support and technology adoption, which are key to deeper integration with global value chains and positioning India as a competitive and trusted trading partner.
Commerce Secretary Shri Rajesh Agarwal stressed the importance of improving last-mile connectivity between exporters and government systems. He highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to expanding digital public infrastructure for trade, ensuring quicker resolution of trade issues and improving coordination across agencies to strengthen India’s export competitiveness.
DGFT and Additional Secretary Shri Ajay Bhadoo noted the Directorate’s work toward making all trade facilitation services fully digital and paperless. He said that DGFT initiatives, such as the Trade Connect ePlatform and digital Certificates of Origin, aim to simplify processes for MSMEs, reduce transaction costs and help exporters access opportunities arising from FTAs and global demand diversification.
The meeting saw active participation from Ministers from several State Governments, including Finance Department Minister from Gujarat Shri Kamleshbhai Patel, Industries, Commerce and Public Affairs Minister from Assam Shri Bimal Borah, Industries Minister from Bihar Shri Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, Minister of State for Industries and Commerce from Rajasthan Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, Commerce and Industry Minister from Tripura Ms. Santana Chakma, Minister for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI and Investment Promotion from Uttar Pradesh Shri Nand Gopal Gupta, Cabinet Agriculture Minister from Uttarakhand Shri Ganesh Joshi, Minister for Transport and Industries from Goa Shri Mauvin Godinho, Commerce and Industry Minister from Andhra Pradesh Shri T.G Bharath and Industries Minister from Chhattisgarh Shri L L Dewangan. Senior officials from the Government of India and States and Union Territories, Export Promotion Councils, industry associations, exporters and trade experts also participated, demonstrating a collaborative approach toward creating a technology-enabled and globally competitive trade ecosystem for India.
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