Odisha is lagging in terms of growth in export while the State Government is laying focus on the sector for economic development. Odisha is not even in the top 10 list of the States in the export performance.

Odisha exported goods worth of Rs19,334 crore in 2014-15, the lion’s share being from the metal sector.

Maharashtra tops the list as the leading exporter with Rs4,45,350 crore followed by Gujarat (Rs3,64,316 crore), Tamil Nadu (Rs1,68,006 crore) and Karnataka (Rs1,44,389 crore) in 2014-15. As per the official data, while Rs10,836 crore worth of metal goods were exported from Odisha, the other exports amounted to Rs3,330 crore in machinery goods, Rs2,567 crore in software and Rs2,069 crore in sea products.

While the Odisha Government in its State Export Policy 20State’s exports performance disappointing14 aims to export 6.5 billion USD worth of goods to foreign countries by 2023, the State has not achieved satisfactory result in exporting other goods and products except minerals and IT. Especially, the handloom and handicraft exports have been marginal. The State exported less than Rs1 crore worth of handloom and handicraft products in 2014-15. Only Rs84 lakh worth of handloom products were exported during the year.

Besides, the State exported agriculture and forest products worth Rs3.34 crore and medicinal goods worth Rs2.52 crore in 2014-15.

The metal goods export amounted to only Rs 375 crore in previous fiscal while it was Rs9,836 crore in 2010-11 and Rs3,546.78 crore in 2013-14. The export of minerals was reduced considerably in the last fiscal due to lacklustre prices on metals and negetive impact of international market.