Goyal meets exporters to boost trade, leverage FTAs

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday met exporters to discuss ways to boost outbound shipments and leverage free trade agreements.

"Discussed measures to strengthen support for MSMEs, maximise opportunities through FTAs, foster innovation and deep-tech capabilities, improve export facilitation, and expand India's role in global value chains," Goyal said in a social media post.

Representatives of various Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and Industry Associations participated in the deliberations.

The meeting reviewed strategies for advancing India's export ecosystem, accelerating market diversification and enhancing the country's global trade competitiveness.

Several export promotion councils presented their sector-specific export performance and KPI (key performance indicator) progress.

The ministry's arm, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), has proposed four KPI pillars - export performance, market diversification, exporter ecosystem, and policy facilitation.

An industry official said that the councils would have to inform the ministry about the number of new exporters onboarded by them, the number of capacity-building programmes conducted, and participation in international engagements.

India's exports climbed to a six-month high of 18 per cent to $45.2 billion in May, while the trade deficit widened to $28.21 billion.

During April-May 2026-27, exports rose 16.09 per cent to $88.91 billion and imports jumped 15.14 per cent to $145.35 billion. The trade deficit stood at $56.44 billion during the period.