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Expressing concern over decline in export promotion funding, economic think tank GTRI said on Saturday said the government should consider allocating Rs 2,500 crore for exporters to participate in global exhibitions under the Market Access Initiative (MAI), which has not received any funds this fiscal. It said that exporters have missed critical opportunities between April and August to participate in overseas fairs. "With a modest budget of only Rs 250 crore in past years, the scheme was already too small for a USD 440 plus billion export economy. It must be revived with a scaled-up budget of Rs 2,500 crore annually, with funds released at least a year in advance to allow Indian firms to secure high-visibility slots at global fairs," Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Founder Ajay Srivastava said. He also called for resumption of Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES), immediate roll out of the Export Promotion Mission (EPM), and E-commerce Export Hubs to boost exports amid 50 pe
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he cannot accept raw materials getting exported and finished products being shipped into the country, asserting that value additions must happen here. Inaugurating the 'Utkarsh Odisha, Make in Odisha Conclave' in Bhubaneswar, Modi said he considers eastern India as the growth engine of the country, and the state plays an important role in it. "The country's development is not possible only by exporting raw materials. Therefore, we are changing the entire ecosystem and working with a new vision," he said. "The minerals are extracted here and they are exported to some other country where value addition is done and new products are made. These finished products are then sent back to India. This trend is not acceptable to Modi," he added. The PM said the aspirations of crores of people were driving India's movement on the path of development. "Today, India is moving on a path of development driven by the aspirations of crores of people. Thi
India's exports to its trade agreement partner Australia rose 64.4 per cent year-on-year to USD 643.7 million in November on account of healthy growth in sectors such as textiles, chemicals and agricultural products, according to the commerce ministry data. However, the country's merchandise exports recorded a decline of 5.21 per cent year-on-year to USD 5.56 billion, the preliminary data showed. India and Australia implemented an interim trade pact -- Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) -- on December 29, 2022 and are now in negotiations to widen the scope of the pact. On the completion of two years of ECTA, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the agreement has brought with it increased market access for Indian exporters, expanded opportunities for MSMEs and farmers, and generated several employment avenues. It has also enabled growth in exports by 14 per cent in 2023-24; notable boost in IT/ITeS, business and travel services; and port-study work and work
Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday advised India Inc not to seek protective cover of weak currency as it is not a substitute for productivity and investment in research and development. A weak currency can be good for exporters, making their products relatively less expensive for buyers abroad. Nageswaran further said the reliance on weak currency should not be instrumental to boosting exports, "if anything, it should be part of the policy arsenal to be deployed contextually, but not as a substitute for productivity, investment in R&D and quality, but as a complement at best". Nageswaran further said the reliance on weak currency should not be the answer, if anything it should be part of the policy arsenal to be deployed contextually, but not as a substitute for productivity, investment in R&D and quality, but as a complement at best. "We should not be thinking about in terms of the transformation of competitiveness, which is to continuously expect the ...