NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday named 20 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, and France as a part of its drive to increase exports, with focus on six focus sectors in both commodities and services.
In a written response to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, minister of state for commerce and industry, Jitin Prasada, said that a meeting was held last month with officials from the commercial wings of Indian Missions in these countries to strategise ways to boost trade.
“The government has recently identified 20 countries of significance and 6 focus sectors each in commodities and services,” Prasada added.
The list of priority countries includes Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.
According to the minister, discussions revolved around strengthening multilateral trade collaboration and addressing operational and logistical challenges hindering exports.
“A set of actionable strategies designed to propel Indian exports forward were recommended, which included the establishment of a comprehensive Data Analytics Portal to explore emerging market opportunities and the ‘E-connect Portal’ aimed at supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with market access information,” the minister said.
The Indian Missions in these countries have also been urged to support the ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) initiative by promoting branding, expanding market access, and increasing farmers’ earnings through higher exports.
Over 5,000 startups closed, but growth continues
In a separate response, Prasada revealed that as of 31 December 2024, 5,063 startups recognised by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) were dissolved, according to data from the ministry of corporate affairs.
However, the overall startup ecosystem continues to expand. “As a result of efforts undertaken as part of the Startup India initiative, 1,57,706 entities have been recognised as startups” he said.
