Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday expressed optimism that the country will meet its ambitious USD 2 trillion export target by 2030, notwithstanding geopolitical headwinds and inflationary concerns. Speaking at the inauguration of the Patsan Bhavan, which houses the Jute Commissioner's office and headquarters of Jute Corporation of India and National Jute Board, in New Town, Kolkata, Goyal acknowledged the challenging global situation. He cited the Ukraine war, the Israel conflict and issues related to the Red Sea as factors impacting trade. "To address low food grain production and curb domestic inflation, we have implemented restrictions. However, despite all these challenges, India's exports will continue to grow, aiming at reaching USD 2 trillion by 2030 from the current USD 770-775 billion," Goyal said. He highlighted the potential of the jute industry, stating that with "contribution from the jute sector and concerted efforts from the Centre and sta
Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said the government will bring more products under the mandatory quality norm as India moves towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. Addressing virtually the 77th foundation day of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Goyal said complying with high quality standards in products and services will help India achieve high goals and become a developed nation. Towards this direction, the BIS should become an ambassador of quality standards. "It should not just become an adopter of standards, but should be a pioneer of standards," he said. That apart, the BIS should frame quality standards comparable to international standards wherever possible. "For example in products like lift, air filters and medical devices, I think India can be a front-runner and set international standards." He also urged for much greater stakeholder engagement for making quality standards and asked the industry to be more demanding to set labs for testing t
Countries which are negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) with India, including the UK, want a greater share in the country's fast-growing automobile sector, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said on Friday. He said that India has come to the centre stage of auto manufacturing not only in assembling but also in the whole value chain. The industry has strengthened itself in all areas, including making auto grade steel, components and tyres, besides exporting these goods, he said. The auto sector is now being shifting from conventional ICE (internal combustion engines) to Electric Vehicle (EV) battery-based systems. "When we look at our present strength and the future potential in India, I think it is going to be huge. "In fact when we are doing our FTAs, I remember that country after country, they are focusing on how they can get a pie out of the Indian automobile sector and when we are negotiating FTA with the UK...saying that this much of market share should be available to th
Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said the government is keen to expand ECGC cover and asked gems and jewellery industry leaders to form a committee to help exporters in the sector. "We have started giving ECGC (formerly Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India) cover for the whole turnover...we are keen to expand, and I ask the captains of the industry to see how we can have an industry-ECGC-government partnership, which will ensure the baggage of the past can be erased. "If the industry and the government can come together and work together, I am sure we can look at individual policies also for individual exports," Goyal said while addressing the inaugural session of the 4-day IIJS (India International Jewellery Show) Signature 2024 Gem and Jewellery Trade Show. The commerce and industry minister suggested forming a committee consisting of ECGC, the government and GJEPC representatives to develop a certain mechanism that will help the industry to cross the hump and start
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday exuded confidence that during this fiscal, the country will maintain the last year's export figures despite slowdown in global trade. He said that India's exports of goods and services rose to USD 776 billion in 2022-23 from USD 500 billion two years ago. "Globally growth has been negative, international trade is in the negative territory, estimates are that this year international trade may fall, and in that perspective after having grown so rapidly we are looking at a phase of consolidation... "and I expect that the current year, we will maintain our figures of last year and strengthen our processes and our domestic capacities, capabilities to be able to grow at much faster rates in the years to come," Goyal told reporters here. Cumulatively, the country's merchandise exports in April-November 2023-24 contracted by 6.51 per cent to USD 278.8 billion. The estimated value of services export during the eight-month period stood
A series of mega-events are slated in the coming months to elevate India's position as a global economic powerhouse, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said. The planned lineup of mega events commences with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav scheduled from January 3-10 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. This event aims to exhibit a rich array of offerings -- including products from artisans, weavers, khadi, tribal crafts, MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), and cottage industries -- and provide a direct interface between producers and consumers. Following this, the 'Indus Food' exhibition will be held at India Exposition Mart, Greater Noida, from January 8-10. The Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 will take place on February 1-3 at Bharat Mandapam. "Covering a sprawling 10 lakh square feet, this extensive mobility exposition will feature stakeholders across the automobile and mobility sector, showcasing their strengths and innovations. The expo will highli
The RoDTEP scheme, which came into effect three years ago, refunds the embedded non-creditable central, state, and local levies paid on inputs to exporters
The proposed national e-commerce policy being formulated by the commerce and industry ministry is in the final stages and expected to be announced very soon, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. In August, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) held a detailed discussion with representatives of e-commerce firms and a domestic traders' body on the proposed policy. "It is at the final stages of discussion at the highest level in the government. We hope to come out very soon," the commerce and industry minister told reporters here when asked about the policy. Earlier, the ministry issued two draft national e-commerce policies. The 2019 draft proposed to address six broad areas of the e-commerce ecosystem - data, infrastructure development, e-commerce marketplaces, regulatory issues, stimulating domestic digital economy and export promotion through e-commerce. Domestic traders body CAIT has time and again demanded roll out of the policy as they ..
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday noted that the Centre has taken many pro-active steps in last few years to control retail prices of food items and said the government will keep inflation under control while ensuring country's economic growth. He was addressing an event, organised by the ministry here, to celebrate National Consumers Day. "Today, India has become the fastest growing large economy. Going forward, we will keep inflation under check and also ensure economic growth," Goyal said. Retail inflation inched up to a three-month high of 5.55 per cent in November driven by higher food prices, according to latest official data. The retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 4.87 per cent in October. Inflation had been declining since August when it touched 6.83 per cent. On steps taken by the central government, Goyal highlighted that 140 new price monitoring centres have been set up to keep a close watch on wholesale and retail
Kamath said that he was excited to join the council and that India needs to unlock its domestic capital to nurture startups
The primary objective of these negotiations is to establish a "fair, mutually beneficial, and comprehensive" trade deal between India and EFTA
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will chair a meeting of the Board of Trade on December 17 to discuss ways to boost exports, an official said. Headed by the minister, the board includes participants from various states, union territories, and senior officials from public and private sectors. The official said that representatives of export promotion councils will present their views on the exports, besides the team of Government e-marketplace (GeM) will give a detailed presentation about the public procurement portal. The procurement of goods and services from the government portal has crossed Rs 2 lakh crore in November due to higher buying activities by different ministries and departments. The board provides an opportunity to have regular discussions and consultations with trade and industry and advise the government on policy measures related to FTP to achieve the objective of boosting India's trade. It also provides a platform for state governments and union ...
India is aiming to achieve the $2 trillion export target by 2030 and in the process it is moving this industry out of the government support to make it self-sustaining and cost competitive, Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. Addressing Infinity Forum 2.0 virtually at Gujarat Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), he said the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City has become a lynchpin in propelling India's export-led growth. GIFT City will play a pivotal role in powering India's exports to $2 trillion by 2030, and then onwards to up to $10 trillion that it envisages to see by 2047, said the Union Commerce and Industry Minister. "During the next 2-3 decades we hope to see sustained, inclusive growth, during which we are confident of offering sustainable and inclusive development for every single person in the country. In that story, our international engagements will play a very important role," he said. He said India's target of crossing a $1 trillion economy
The Union Commerce Minister emphasized the unprecedented opportunity presented by 1.4 billion people aspiring for a better future
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday exuded confidence that the country's apparel exports would reach the target of USD 40 billion by 2030. He said that the government is taking steps to promote exports such as entering into free trade agreements and promoting brand India. The minister also asked the apparel exporters to procure raw materials from Indian players and not depend on "opaque" foreign suppliers and suggested not to fall for "predatory products". "USD 40 billion target by 2030 is clearly achievable," Goyal said here while awarding apparel exporters. Speaking at the event, Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) Chairman Naren Goenka said that the sector exports grew at a rate of 30.35 per cent in 2021-22 over 2020-21, and 1.10 per cent in 2022-23 over 2021-22. "We are vigilant of the fact that India's apparel exports have been constant to the tune of 3-4 per cent of global export share during past 3-4 years and hence AEPC has been very proactiv
India will address the issue of the European Union's plan to impose a carbon tax on certain imported goods, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said, adding that "I will retaliate" if required. The CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) or carbon tax (a kind of import duty) will come into effect from January 1, 2026. However, from October 1 this year, domestic companies from seven carbon-intensive sectors, including steel, cement, fertiliser, aluminium and hydrocarbon products, will have to share data with regard to carbon emissions with the EU. "Bharat will address the problem of CBAM with confidence, and we will find solutions. We will see how we can convert CBAM to our advantage if it comes in. Of course, I will retaliate. You need not worry about it," Goyal said here at an industry chamber event. According to a report of the think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), CBAM will translate into a 20-35 per cent tax on select imports into the EU, starti
The government has recognised 1,14,902 entities as startups as on October 31, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. These eligible firms are allowed to seek fiscal incentives under the Startup India Action Plan, which was launched in January 2016, and that includes income tax exemption for three years. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said the action plan includes 19 items spanning across areas such as simplification and handholding, funding support and incentives and industry-academia partnership and incubation. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) "has recognised 1,14,902 entities as startups as on 31st October 2023," he said. Replying to a separate question, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said subdued demand in major export destinations such as the US, Hong Kong, the Middle East and China and availability of raw materials at competitive rates were some of the challenges faced by
Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday asked the opposition parties not to divide the country on the basis of north and south India and asked if the INDIA bloc constituents support the remarks against Hindi heartland states by a DMK MP. Replying to a question related to his Consumer Affairs Ministry during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come up with the idea of One Nation, One Ration Card so that the whole country could be united through a single transparent system of getting subsidised foodgrain anywhere. "The PM always works to unite the people. But the opposition is trying to divide the country. Some of them even talked about North and South India. Please stop dividing the country," he said amidst vocal objections by some opposition members. Unwilling to relent to the objections, the minister hit back, saying, Do you support the statement of a member made in this House yesterday. Do INDI alliance members support the statement of
Top CEOs from India and the United States have provided updates on the status of their recommendations on advancing bilateral commercial ties during a meeting co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, an official statement said here. The virtual meeting of the India-US CEO Forum convened by Raimondo and Goyal on November 30 was a follow-up to the March 2023 forum meeting in New Delhi, according to the statement issued on Monday. During the meeting, US and Indian CEOs provided both governments with updates on the status of their recommendations on how to advance US-India commercial ties, it said. They also discussed topics pertinent across sectors, including supply chain resiliency, workforce development, regulatory and standards harmonization, and economic collaboration. Raimondo and Goyal highlighted recent government initiatives that were inspired by the CEOs' recommendations and encouraged the forum members to focus on
The government is planning to approve setting up of 10-11 testing laboratories across the country to ensure high quality of cotton and textiles for both the domestic consumers as well as for the export markets, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. "I have discussed with the Textile Ministry, the Consumer Affairs Department, who will work together with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for setting up high quality cotton and textile testing laboratories," Goyal, the Union Minister for Textiles, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution, said. "In the next 15 days, by December 16, we will approve a series of laboratories across the country with an investment of about USD 6-7 million," he said. Addressing the four-day 81st Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) that started on Saturday, the minister said, "We want the most modern and high-quality testing laboratories to come up in different parts of the country, s