The meeting built on an earlier consensus that the focus should extend beyond individual organisational concerns to a coordinated action plan for expanding exports, accessing new markets, promoting new products and strengthening each Council’s contribution to the country’s export performance, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said in a press release.
Indian Commerce Minister reviewed the Export Promotion Mission with Export Promotion Councils and industry bodies, urging coordinated efforts to expand exports, access new markets, and leverage trade agreements.
The government also announced fixed DGFT committee schedules to improve trade facilitation while highlighting new EPM interventions, district export hubs, and support for e-commerce exporters.
To improve predictability and speed up trade facilitation, Goyal announced that a tentative schedule of statutory and facilitation committee meetings has been finalised and published on the DGFT website. The Norms Committee, Policy Relaxation Committee, EPCG Committee and Exim Facilitation Committees will meet fortnightly on fixed days, while the Inter-Ministerial Working Group on SCOMET will meet monthly. The move is intended to ensure time-bound disposal of cases, reduce pendency and provide a more predictable facilitation environment for exporters.
Goyal urged EPCs and industry associations to work closely with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and submit focused, quantifiable and outcome-oriented proposals. He also encouraged them to leverage market access opportunities arising from India’s trade agreements to boost exports.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said the success of the Export Promotion Mission would depend on effective implementation and greater uptake by exporters. Referring to initiatives such as export factoring, credit guarantees for e-commerce exporters, collateral support for export credit and support for emerging export opportunities, he urged EPCs to conduct outreach programmes with banks and other stakeholders to improve awareness and utilisation.
Agarwal also encouraged EPCs to develop proposals under EPM components, particularly for export warehousing and logistics, certification support, trade intelligence and market access. He stressed the need to identify new markets, capitalise on opportunities under India’s free trade agreements and increase participation in key international trade events.
Highlighting the District Export Hubs (DEH) initiative, Agarwal urged EPCs to nominate focal points at the national, state and district levels and work with District Export Promotion Committees to identify products and districts with export potential.
Director General of Foreign Trade Santosh Kumar Sarangi described EPCs as key partners in India’s export promotion efforts and called for a mission-driven approach focused on measurable outcomes, last-mile reach and greater support for exporters. He also highlighted the importance of district-level exports, e-commerce and encouraging young entrepreneurs to become exporters.
Additional Director General of Foreign Trade Lokesh HD said 10 interventions under the Export Promotion Mission have already been rolled out, while the branding component remains under stakeholder consultation. Based on industry feedback, several refinements have been introduced, including extending interest subvention benefits to small and micro exporters on identified tariff lines. He also noted that a national workshop held on June 2, 2026, addressed operational issues and promoted wider use of the schemes.
Reviewing the District Export Hubs initiative, Additional Director General of Foreign Trade Abhinav Gupta said the 90-day activation drive launched on June 1, 2026, is progressing under a structured activity calendar. The plan assigns responsibilities to central and state government agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen district-level export promotion.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
