The Commerce Ministry of India is planning to launch an online platform in the next two to three months to provide all relevant information, including details about custom duties, for aspiring exporters. The portal, named ‘Trade Connect ePlatform’, will act as a one-stop place for getting all information on engaging in export activities.
Benefits of the portal
According to Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi, the portal will help new and prospective exporters to access various regulations to access markets, sectors, export trends, and easy access of benefits under Free Trade Agreements. Besides, it will facilitate access to sector specific events along with a facility to address trade related queries to officials in Government of India and associated entities to get expert advice.
Current scenario of exports
The launch of the portal comes at a time when India’s exports are witnessing a robust growth amid the global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. India’s merchandise exports grew by 18.5% year-on-year to $351.8 billion in April-December 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic level of $330.1 billion in the same period of 2019-20. The Commerce Ministry has set a target of achieving $400 billion of exports in the current fiscal year.