DGFT Calls on Indian Industry to Convert FTAs and Export Schemes into Real Shipments

Director General of Foreign Trade Lav Agarwal addressed the Confederation of Indian Industry’s National Manufacturing Conclave, urging Indian industry associations to shift from merely promoting awareness of free trade agreements and export incentives to actively converting them into shipments. He noted that while the UK and Oman FTAs are now in force, Indian firms have been less proactive than their British counterparts in exploiting market access.

Agarwal called for mentorship programmes at the district and cluster level, integration of trade into expansion strategies, and adoption of the Export Promotion Mission’s eleven pillars, which include finance, market intelligence, and logistics support. He proposed combining this mission with the Districts as Export Hubs initiative to diversify export origins, as currently ten states and ten districts dominate the majority of exports. By guiding MSMEs and start-ups through end-to-end frameworks, he aims to turn over 500 district export action plans into tangible trade flows.