MEETING ON EXPORT TARGET AND STRATEGIES
HELD
The meeting with
Export Promotion Bodies on Export Target and Strategies for the
year 2003-04 was held here today under the chairmanship of Shri
Dipak Chatterjee, Commerce Secretary. During the 3-hour
long deliberations, the Export Promotion Bodies gave an overview
of the export performance during 2002-03 and an assessment of
export prospects in their respective sectors for the financial
year 2003-04. The export target for the year 2003-04 will be fixed
based on these discussions. It may be recalled that Shri Arun
Jaitley, Commerce & Industry Minister, had announced while
releasing the trade data for 2002-03 that Commerce Secretary would
be meeting the EPCs and Commodity Boards on 6th May
to elicit perceptions of the various export promotion bodies on
the current exports trends and future strategies.
Shri Chatterjee exhorted
the export bodies to bear in mind the global scenario especially
in the context of recent developments such as SARS and the Iraq
war while formulating the export strategies. Exuding a sense of
cautious optimism, the Export Promotion Bodies cutting across
all major sectors assured the government that all efforts would
be made to sustain and accelerate the export growth momentum during
the current year. It was indicated by many participants that the
thrust would be on aggressive marketing, diversification in terms
of both products and export destinations, and product innovations
with emphasis on quality to tap new and emerging markets. Several
participants felt that the Focus: CIS programme could play a major
role in helping to regain India's share of the erstwhile Soviet
market in many sectors, including agro and plantation products.
The representatives of Exim Bank and ECGC indicated their continuing
support to the export effort, with the ECGC agreeing to back up
the various focus programmes with credit lines and also in extending
marketing services.
The meeting was attended
by senior representatives of all the Export Promotion Councils
(EPCs) {Gem & Jewellery, Engineering, Electronics &
Computer Software, Plastics, Sports Goods, Shellac, Cashew, Basic
Chemical, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics, Chemicals & Allied
products, Apparels, Cotton Textiles, Synthetic & Rayon Textiles,
Silk, Handlooms, Powerlooms, Handicrafts, Wool & Woollens,
Carpets and Overseas Construction Council of India}; the Commodity
Boards {Coffee Board, Tea Board, Rubber Board, Tobacco Board,
Spices Board, Agricultural Processed Foods Export Development
Authority – APEDA and Marine Products Export Development Authority
– MPEDA } and other Export Promotion Bodies such as MMTC Ltd.,
STC Ltd., Project & Equipment Corporation (PEC) India Trade
Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO).
