The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has outlined a wider export-diversification strategy through Free Trade Agreements, Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, export promotion, and e-commerce facilitation. The measures matter because India is trying to protect export growth, improve market access, and reduce compliance frictions in a more uncertain global trade environment.

What the government said

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Shri Jitin Prasada said India is pursuing multiple channels to diversify export markets. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry linked trade agreements with export promotion missions, district-level export planning, and facilitation for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups, artisans, and other small exporters.

Main policy directions

The government’s stated approach has five broad parts:

Expansion of the Free Trade Agreement network and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement/Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement network.Trade negotiations with major economies and regions to secure preferential market access for exporters.Targeted export promotion through the Export Promotion Mission, Indian Missions overseas, Export Promotion Councils, industry associations, and other stakeholders.District-specific and sector-specific export promotion under the Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative.Capacity-building programmes for exporters.

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