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Piyush Goyal Pushes Export Councils To Drive New Markets, Products And Faster Growth

• By  Textile Excellence
• July 01, 2026

EPCs told to move beyond issues to export expansion strategy

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal chaired a high-level interaction with Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and industry associations in New Delhi on June 24, 2026, with a clear message: India’s export ecosystem must now focus on new markets, new products and higher growth momentum.

The meeting reviewed progress under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) and reiterated that EPCs must move beyond individual grievances and work on a structured national export expansion strategy. The focus, the Minister said, should be on measurable outcomes that contribute directly to India’s overall export performance.

Faster decision-making system for exporters

To improve trade facilitation, the government informed EPCs that a fixed calendar has been introduced for key regulatory and facilitation committees. The schedule has been placed on the DGFT website to ensure predictability.

Committees such as the Norms Committee, Policy Relaxation Committee, EPCG Committee and Exim Facilitation Committees will now meet every fortnight. The SCOMET Inter-Ministerial Working Group will meet monthly.

The aim is to reduce delays, clear pending cases faster and create a more predictable system for exporters.

Export Promotion Mission to focus on real outcomes

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal stressed that the success of the EPM will depend on how effectively exporters adopt available schemes. He highlighted initiatives such as export factoring, credit guarantees for e-commerce exporters, collateral support for export credit and other financial tools.

He urged EPCs to conduct outreach programmes with banks and stakeholders so that policy support translates into higher export volumes rather than remaining underutilised.

New focus areas: logistics, warehousing and market intelligence

The Commerce Secretary encouraged EPCs to design proposals under EPM components such as export warehousing, logistics support, certification systems, trade intelligence and market access initiatives.

He also emphasised the need to identify new export destinations, leverage FTAs more effectively and increase participation in global trade fairs, particularly in emerging markets with high export potential.

District-level exports seen as key growth driver

A major focus of the meeting was the District Export Hubs (DEH) initiative. EPCs were urged to appoint focal points at national, state and district levels and work closely with District Export Promotion Committees.

The government stressed the importance of converting local strengths—such as GI-tagged products, agricultural goods and handicrafts—into export opportunities. Sustained handholding, capacity building and market linkages were identified as essential to bring new exporters into the system.

Digital exports, youth and new exporters

The Director General of Foreign Trade said the Export Promotion Mission will be implemented in a mission-mode approach with a strong emphasis on facilitation and measurable results. He also highlighted growing focus on e-commerce exports and youth participation as a new driver of export growth.

Progress under Export Promotion Mission

Officials informed that 10 interventions under the Export Promotion Mission have already been rolled out, while branding-related components are still under consultation.

Based on industry feedback, refinements have been made, including extending interest subvention benefits to small and micro exporters in selected tariff lines. A national workshop was also held on June 2, 2026, to resolve operational challenges and improve scheme utilisation.

District activation drive underway

Progress under the District Export Hubs initiative was also reviewed, including the ongoing 90-day activation drive launched on June 1, 2026. District Export Promotion Committees and District Export Action Plans are now operational across regions, with a structured activity calendar assigning responsibilities to central and state agencies.

Bottom line: execution and expansion

The meeting concluded with a strong push for execution. Export bodies were told to shift focus from incremental improvements to aggressive expansion—by identifying new markets, developing new products and ensuring that policy support translates into measurable export growth.

The meeting concluded with a strong push for execution. Export bodies were told to shift focus from incremental improvements to aggressive expansion—by identifying new markets, developing new products and ensuring that policy support translates into measurable export growth.