Immense potential for exporters in east India, shipments from region should rise: Union minister

Kolkata: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel on Thursday said the current export figures of east India do not reflect the true potential of the region, where there are “immense opportunities” for exporters to contribute more to the economy.

Patel also said her ministry is coming up with state-specific and district-specific export plans.

“India’s overall exports of goods and services in 2022-23 stood at USD 776 billion, and I am told exports from the east accounted for USD 29 billion. I feel this does not truly reflect the potential of the region.

“There is still so much that you can do, there are immense opportunities that lie ahead... I want this number (exports) to increase (from the eastern region),” she said here at an award function organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO).

Later, Patel told PTI that the ministry does not set targets for exporters, when asked about what should be the ideal export figure of the region.

“Exporters from the eastern region have to decide on that,” she said.

“We have started the whole exercise of identifying the goods that have an export potential within each district, which are locally produced... We have started creating the institutional mechanism where state-specific export plans are being drawn and district-specific export plans are being created...,” the Union minister said.

On new export destinations, Patel said Indian Missions in various countries have been given targets for identifying such markets.

The Missions are conducting recce on import requirements in their respective countries.

“They are actively communicating with exporters, and we are trying to identify those destinations where we have not exported earlier,” she added.