Mumbai: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, chaired the third meeting of the reconstituted Board of Trade in Mumbai today, emphasizing the government’s commitment to driving economic growth through enhanced partnerships with state governments.
In his address, Goyal highlighted the role of government initiatives in fostering a more transparent, efficient, and sustainable trade environment, which he believes will benefit India’s broader economic landscape.
During the meeting, Goyal launched the Department of Commerce’s Jan Sunwai Portal. This new platform is designed to streamline communication between stakeholders and authorities, offering a direct and transparent channel for addressing trade and industry-related issues. The portal includes on-demand video conferencing services and fixed video conference links for regular interactions, providing extensive accessibility across various offices and autonomous bodies under the Department of Commerce, including the DGFT, Coffee Board, Tea Board, Spices Board, Rubber Board, APEDA, MPEDA, ITPO, and EIC.
In addition, Goyal inaugurated the ECGC’s new online service portal and a revamped in-house SMILE-ERP system. These digital innovations represent a significant leap towards paperless processing and faceless service delivery, benefiting exporters and banks by automating processes, integrating business operations, and improving operational efficiency. The enhancements are expected to expedite claim disposals, reduce operational costs, and lower the carbon footprint, aligning with sustainability goals.
The meeting also focused on critical initiatives aimed at boosting employment across states and enhancing the Department of Commerce’s role in promoting state-level economic growth. State governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh presented their achievements in export promotion and ease of doing business (EODB), sharing best practices and providing valuable insights for peer states. Participation from Assam, Tripura, and Sikkim is anticipated to drive higher export potential from the North East region.
In a notable development for E-Commerce exports, officials from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) announced that RoDTEP, RoSCTL, and Drawback benefits will now be extended to all exports made via courier, with plans to extend these benefits to postal route exports in the future. This move aims to create a more equitable environment for E-Commerce exporters utilizing courier and postal modes.
The Board of Trade, serving as a key platform for collaboration and policy recommendations, brings together representatives from the Industry Ministry, State Governments, industry stakeholders, and trade organizations. The advisory body seeks to shape a thriving trade ecosystem.
The session was attended by Ministers from ten state governments, including Mauvin Godinho (Goa), Chetanya Kasyap (Madhya Pradesh), Krishna Kumar Vishnoi (Rajasthan), Thangam Thennarasu (Tamil Nadu), Santana Chakma (Tripura), Nand Gopal Gupta (Uttar Pradesh), Bimal Borah (Assam), Kanubhai Desai (Gujarat), Tshering Thendup Bhutia (Sikkim), and Duddilla Sridhar Babu (Telangana).