After the Centre's nudge for taking steps to promote exports, as many as 21 states have appointed export commissioners while 14 have framed strategies for outward shipments.

Seeking to involve states for promoting exports, the Commerce Ministry had asked them to appoint commissioners and prepare export strategy.

"The ministry is taking steps to actively involve states role in increasing exports. In order to achieve the USD 900 billion exports target by 2019-20, we need to mainstream trade into states and states into trade," a senior ministry official said.

The official said 21 states have intimated about appointment of export commissioners and 14, including Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, have sent their export strategies.

The commissioners would help in ensuring easing of bottlenecks and development of infrastructure through appropriate allocation of plan resources.

In wake of continued contraction in exports, the Commerce Ministry has taken several efforts in the past months to mainstream the states so that they focus on boosting exports.

The nodal officers have been tasked to emphasise development of an export strategy by the state governments. They are also working with the states to prepare a list of infrastructure projects which would ensure full potential of exports growth.

Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher had written to chief secretaries of states to facilitate the task. Contracting for the sixth month in a row, India's exports dipped by 20.19 per cent in May to USD 22.34 billion.

The exports in the last four financial years have been hovering around USD 300 billion. It was USD 310.5 billion in 2014-15, USD 312.35 billion in 2013-14, USD 300.4 billion in 2012-13 and USD 307 billion in 2011-12. Ajay Sahai, director general, FIEO, said that states play a very important role in enhancing exports.

Source:business-standard.com