Blog

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, chaired a meeting with Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and industry associations at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 27th April 2026, to deliberate on strategies for strengthening India’s export ecosystem in the context of evolving global trade dynamics. The meeting was held in continuation of the India–New Zealand FTA signing ceremony in Bharat Mandapam and was attended by representatives of 30 EPCs and apex industry chambers, along with senior officials from the Department of Commerce and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

Addressing the gathering, Shri Goyal highlighted that India’s total merchandise and services exports reached a record USD 860.09 billion in FY 2025–26, registering a 4.22% year-on-year growth. He noted that sectors such as engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, gems & jewellery and agri-based products have sustained export momentum despite global disruptions.

The Minister emphasised that this milestone should serve as a springboard for achieving USD 2 trillion in exports by 2030 under the Viksit Bharat vision. He urged exporters and industry bodies to fully leverage India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with developed economies to expand market access, boost exports and create employment opportunities, noting that timely utilisation of these agreements is critical.

During the meeting, the Director General of Foreign Trade made a detailed presentation on export performance, ongoing reforms and a structured framework for achieving measurable export outcomes. The presentation outlined a comprehensive export reform framework covering sectoral export performance, a KPI-based framework for EPCs, promotion of e-commerce exports, Districts as Export Hubs, the proposed Digital Trade Academy, the Government’s response to the West Asia crisis, progress under the Export Promotion Mission, and the ongoing special drive for expediting the Export Obligation Discharge Certificate (EODC). The DGFT stressed that EPCs must act as equal partners with the Government in driving market diversification, bringing more MSMEs into the export ecosystem, greater use of technology, and ensuring that policy measures translate into measurable outcomes at the national level.

Industry representatives raised issues relating to compliance costs, testing requirements, and challenges faced by MSMEs in entering export markets. The Minister assured continued Government support, including facilitation under ongoing schemes and targeted interventions to reduce entry barriers and enhance ease of doing business.

Key bodies participating in the meeting included the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO); Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC); Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC); Council for Leather Exports (CLE); Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC India); Basic Chemicals, Cosmetics & Dyes Export Promotion Council (CHEMEXCIL); Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL); Manmade and Technical Textiles Export Promotion Council (MATEXIL); other major textile EPCs; Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC); Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH); agriculture & allied bodies including the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI); Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA); Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXCIL); Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC); Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (PHARMEXCIL); National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM); Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI); Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM); PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI); and several other leading sectoral associations.

Discussions also highlighted progress under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), the Government’s flagship scheme to support exporters. The Minister encouraged EPCs to take steps to increase the number of active exporters. He also emphasised Government support to exporters for entering new markets and increasing their presence in existing markets to accelerate export growth.

The Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening a facilitative trade ecosystem through ongoing reforms, targeted support measures and close collaboration with industry, to accelerate export growth and position India as a trusted global supply partner.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) organized a one-day Hydrogen Startup Exhibition. The aim of the exhibition was to promote the vibrant hydrogen startup ecosystem in the country.

The exhibition brought together 18 promising startups working across various segments of the green hydrogen value chain, including electrolyser technologies, fuel cell applications, biomass-to-hydrogen production, and digital solutions for hydrogen systems. The participating startups demonstrated their technologies and products and interacted with key stakeholders from government, industry, and the research community.

It may be noted that as per Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), there were 249 startups in the hydrogen area as of September 2025. The participating companies included five electrolyzer startups (electrolyzers and associated stack components), two hydrogen production startups, one fuel cell startup, one hydrogen applications startup, one safety startup (MEMS-based sensor), two drone startups, three hydrogen cooking startups, one artificial intelligence/machine learning startup, and two bio-hydrogen startups.

Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof. Ajay Sood, graced the occasion and interacted with the startup founders. Other dignitaries included MNRE Secretary Shri Santosh Sarangi, Scientific Secretary in the PSA Office Dr. Parvinder Maini, and NGHM Director Shri Abhay Bakre. MNRE had launched the scheme for New and Novel Uses of Hydrogen Production and Applications last year, under which Part B of the scheme earmarked Rs. 100 crores for startup funding (pilot projects), with a maximum grant of Rs. 5 crore per startup.

Following the scheme launch, NISE had issued a call for proposals (CfP) in September 2025. A total of 111 applications were received, out of which 58 were shortlisted for presentation before the Project Appraisal Committee earlier this year. The results of the presentations will be declared in the coming weeks. It may be recalled that MNRE had organized a similar startup expo as part of the R&D Conference last September at Dr. Ambedkar Centre in New Delhi, in which more than 25 startups had participated. This second event was a successor to the first event.

The Government has notified the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (Startup India FoF 2.0) with a total corpus of ₹10,000 crore for the purpose of mobilizing venture and growth capital for the startup ecosystem of the country.

The Startup India FoF 2.0 builds upon the strong performance of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 1.0), which was launched in 2016 under the Startup India Action Plan to address funding gaps and catalyse the domestic capital for startups.

Startup India FoF 2.0 will have a total corpus of ₹10,000 crore for commitments to eligible Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) spread across the 16th and 17th Finance Commission cycles. Investments under Startup India FoF 2.0 will focus on Alternative Investment Funds supporting priority segments including deep tech startups, early growth stage startups supported by smaller AIFs, technology-driven and innovative manufacturing startups, and sector or stage agnostic startups.

Startup India FoF 2.0 will follow a structured selection process for AIFs involving screening by a Venture Capital Investment Committee (VCIC) comprising of veterans from the startup ecosystem, and the Scheme incorporates robust monitoring and oversight mechanisms, while an Empowered Committee (EC) will also be constituted to monitor implementation and performance of the Scheme, and provisions for co-investment by Government and institutional investors under an umbrella framework have been included with appropriate governance safeguards.

The operational guidelines and the composition of VCIC will be issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Startup India FoF 2.0 is expected to play a critical role in advancing India’s innovation-led growth agenda, and by supporting startups that build globally competitive technologies, products, and solutions, the Scheme will contribute to strengthening India’s economic resilience, boosting manufacturing capabilities, generating high-quality jobs, and positioning India as a global innovation hub.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will commence operationalization of the scheme as the Implementation Agency (IA) with effect from the date of notification, and in addition, another domestic Implementation Agency will also be selected to implement the proposed Scheme. The Startup India FoF 2.0 will contribute to the corpus of SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) for investing in entities recognised as ‘startups’ by the Central Government.

Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, the Fund represents the Government’s continued commitment to empowering entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and unlocking the full potential of India’s startup ecosystem.

The notification is available at the following link: https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2026/271764.pdf

In a significant step towards strengthening India’s manufacturing and innovation ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading air conditioning company to support startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the country.

The collaboration aims to foster the growth of product startups working in areas such as HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing processes, and supply chain innovation. It seeks to enable startups to develop scalable and industry-relevant solutions through structured industry engagement.

As part of the initiative, startups will be provided access to mentorship from industry experts, infrastructure support including R&D laboratories and testing facilities, pilot opportunities, and market linkages. The partnership will also facilitate startups in achieving key milestones such as product validation, Proof-of-Concept (PoC) development, and integration into industry value chains.

Speaking on the occasion, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Shri Sanjiv stated that the collaboration represents an important step towards fostering industry-driven innovation in the manufacturing sector. He noted that such partnerships enable startups to engage with real-world problem statements and scale solutions with tangible outcomes.

Under this collaboration, DPIIT will work with Blue Star Limited to explore the organisation of innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, along with targeted hackathons focused on HVAC, digital technologies, and manufacturing domains. Startups will have opportunities to participate in structured PoC programmes, with selected entities being considered for pilot deployment and further engagement.

The collaboration will also enable startups to access testing facilities, R&D infrastructure, and technical support, along with structured mentorship programmes and periodic engagement sessions to align innovations with industry requirements.

The MoU was signed by Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, Shri T. L. K. Singh and Managing Director, Blue Star Limited, Shri B Thiagarajan, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

India’s trade performance has remained robust and resilient, with exports recording a steady upward trajectory both in the current fiscal year (FY 2025–26, Apr–Jan) and over the longer term (FY 2021–25). Despite persistent global uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and volatile commodity prices, India’s exports have continued to expand in a broad-based manner. During Apr–Jan of FY 2025–26, total exports of merchandise and services rose by USD 36 billion, registering a growth of 5.26% from USD 679.02 billion in FY 2024–25 (Apr–Jan) to USD 714.73 billion. Over the period 2021–22 to 2024–25, exports achieved a compound annual growth rate of 6.9%, with values increasing sharply from USD 497.90 billion in 2020–21 to USD 828.25 billion in 2024–25. This consistent expansion underscores India’s ability to sustain diversified and resilient export growth, positioning the country as a strong player in global trade even under challenging external conditions.

The Government is consistently working to boost exports and expand the country’s global footprint, combining traditional strengths with emerging technology‑driven sectors. Central to this ambition is the creation of a supportive ecosystem where exporters, particularly MSMEs, can compete confidently in international markets. This effort is reinforced by a dynamic policy framework, strong financial incentives, a growing digital infrastructure, improved trade facilitation, and a determined push to secure deeper market access through next‑generation trade agreements.

The Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, designed as a flexible and evolving framework to adapt to global shifts, has emerged as a key enabler of India’s export momentum. Built on four core pillars – trade facilitation, export promotion, state‑level partnerships, and digital integration – the FTP is further reinforced by targeted export promotion schemes that collectively enhance India’s competitiveness in global markets.

The RoDTEP scheme plays a central role by neutralizing embedded taxes on exports and enabling Indian goods to remain competitive worldwide. The recently launched Export Promotion Mission (EPM) 2 further reinforces this effort through two targeted pillars: expanding access to affordable trade finance and upgrading quality, logistics, branding, and market‑readiness across the export value chain. The Government has approved the EPM with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 25,060 crores (FY 2025–26 to FY 2030–31). It operates through Niryat Protsahan (focusing on trade finance and credit enhancement) and Niryat Disha (focusing on export logistics, warehousing, and market access), specifically targeting MSME competitiveness.

The Government has recently notified a time-limited “RELIEF” Scheme, an intervention under the Export Promotion Mission, to be implemented through the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC), is operationalised to address elevated export risks arising from geopolitical disruptions in the Gulf and West Asia maritime corridor.

Together with the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC), which provides critical risk‑mitigation support for exports, and schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) that build export‑linked infrastructure across the country.

Running parallel to these financial and policy instruments is India’s accelerating shift toward technology‑enabled trade governance. A strong digital backbone powered by platforms such as the 24×7 EIC interface, the Trade Intelligence & Analytics platform, the Common Digital Platform for Certificates of Origin, and the Trade e-Connect portal has transformed how exporters access information, approvals, and global markets. These systems enable fully online processing, real‑time compliance updates, digital certification, faster turnaround times, and easier access to global market intelligence. The outcome is a trade ecosystem that is more transparent, data‑driven, efficient, and equitable.

Proactive trade diplomacy complements policy measures and expanding digital infrastructure, reinforcing the country’s efforts to strengthen global market access and enhance export competitiveness. With 19 FTAs and a renewed push since 2021 wherein India has concluded or advanced eight major agreements with key partners. The India-EU FTA, a landmark pact offering access to almost the entire EU tariff universe, marks a significant step in integrating India more deeply into global value chains. The India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) is India’s first FTA to include a dedicated commitment aiming to increase FDI from their investors. Trade agreements with New Zealand, Oman and UK will broaden market access, enhance services mobility, secure long‑term investments, and create predictable regulatory environments for businesses. Meanwhile, ongoing negotiations with Israel, Canada, GCC nations, Chile, and Peru indicate India’s determination to expand high‑value trade corridors across regions.

India’s export strategy reflects a decisive whole‑of‑government approach, moving beyond transactional support to building a resilient, competitive, and future‑ready ecosystem. By combining targeted financial incentives, technology‑enabled trade facilitation, institutional reforms, and proactive market‑access initiatives, the focus is on embedding digital governance, expanding global reach, and strengthening exporter capabilities across sectors and regions. This integrated approach positions India not just as a participant, but as a trusted, technology‑driven partner in global trade.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, in Lok Sabha today.