Foreign Trade Policy 2023 introduces amnesty, e commerce facilitation, merchanting trade provisions and streamlined export schemes.
Foreign Trade Policy 2023 establishes four operational pillars-incentive to remission, export promotion through collaboration, ease of doing business via automation, and focus on emerging areas-and reengineers implementation of key schemes including EPCG and Advance Authorization through rule based IT systems, expanded district and town export initiatives, facilitation for e commerce and merchanting trade, consolidated SCOMET controls, and a limited one time Amnesty Scheme to regularise export obligation defaults.

Trade policy coordination to bridge multilateral trading gaps, promoting MSME integration, GVC resilience and equitable benefits.
The G20 TIWG meeting prioritized strengthening Global Value Chain resilience through mapping and diversification, enhancing cooperation among standardization bodies, and increasing transparency in the administration of non-tariff measures. It emphasized integrating MSMEs into global trade by improving access to information and trade finance, reviewing digital entry barriers, and accelerating participation of firms from developing countries and LDCs to ensure equitable distribution of trade benefits.

Customs duty exemption for imported drugs and FSMP enables duty-free personal imports for treatment of listed rare diseases.
Full exemption from basic customs duty applies to all imported drugs and Food for Special Medical Purposes for personal use to treat diseases listed under the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021, effected by general exemption notifications. Eligible importers must produce a certificate from the Central or State Director of Health Services or the District Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon. The measure extends prior limited exemptions for specific rare-disease therapies and separately exempts pembrolizumab by notification.

Market Access Initiative expands export facilitation support for export promotion councils and trade bodies, strengthening market access and information services.
The Market Access Initiative provides financial assistance to Export Promotion Councils, Trade Bodies and Commodity Boards for approved export facilitation and promotion activities, with allocated and utilised funds reported for recent fiscal periods; targeted support has been given to councils serving cottage and handicraft sectors. Complementing the funding, the Indian Trade Portal offers exporters tariff and preferential tariff information, rules of origin, market access requirements, export-import policy guidance and trade/tender queries from missions abroad to improve market access.

Agriculture export policy drives district hubs and APEDA schemes to expand market access and link farmers with exporters.
The Government promotes agricultural exports through the Agriculture Export Policy via the District as Export Hub initiative, state action plans and monitoring committees, and a Farmer Connect Portal linking FPOs/FPCs and cooperatives with exporters. APEDA implements an Agriculture & Processed Food Products Export Promotion Scheme furnishing infrastructure, market and quality development support, facilitating trial shipments, trade fairs, virtual meets, GI promotion, export market access and capacity building, and establishing Export Promotion Forums to involve stakeholders in export decision making.

Robust financial network and ecosystem-based growth drive measures expanding access to credit, digital payments and trade facilitation.
Government policy prioritises a robust financial network and an ecosystem-based approach to boost trade and investment by expanding access to banking (Jan Dhan linked to DBT), scaling digital payments (UPI) and facilitating cross-border rupee usage (Special Rupee Vostro Accounts); liberalising FDI and deepening capital markets; reducing regulatory burdens and aligning trade facilitation with WTO TFA through NCTF and NTFAP; and supporting MSME liquidity (TReDS), PLI schemes, ODOP, multimodal infrastructure and a National Logistics Policy, underpinned by digital infrastructure.

Trade facilitation in the diamond sector highlights export infrastructure, customs processing, and responsible sourcing after the G20 visit.
The G20 TIWG visit to Bharat Diamond Bourse highlighted the diamond sector's central role in exports and employment, the predominance of MSME participation, and the industry's export-supporting institutions: the GJEPC as the apex export promotion body, the IDTC's Special Notified Zone status, the GII's recognition as a national research centre (SIRO), and the Precious Cargo Customs Clearance Centre's role in import-export processing, all framed as components of trade facilitation, responsible sourcing, and sustainability initiatives.

Trade expansion: India's overall exports reach historic high, driven by merchandise and services growth and supportive policy.
India's overall exports, including merchandise and services, have surpassed an all time high of US dollar 750 billion, rising from about 500 billion in 2020-21 despite global recessionary and inflationary pressures. The Government credits nine years of reforms and targeted initiatives-infrastructure development, logistics, digital payments, innovation promotion, and trade liberalisation including FTAs-for enabling export competitiveness. Policy emphasis is on open self reliance that leverages comparative advantages across value chains, promotes low carbon export sectors such as renewable energy, and uses technology platforms to reduce transaction costs and expand market access.

Trade finance reform seeks to close the global trade finance gap and promote digital, inclusive MSME participation in global trade.
The TIWG meeting concentrates on trade finance solutions to close the trade finance gap-engaging banks, financial institutions, export credit agencies and development finance institutions-and on how digitalisation and fintech can improve access. It also addresses strengthening Global Value Chain resilience, increasing developing-country participation, integrating MSMEs into global trade, and improving logistics to lower transaction costs, aiming to produce shared, human-centric deliverables.

Digital breakthroughs drive India's development agenda, with technology sharing and export-led growth central to policy goals.
The Minister outlined a policy-driven digital development agenda positioning the ICT sector as the engine of national economic transformation, emphasising domestic R&D and innovation and a commitment to share developed technologies internationally. Industry and government speakers at the international exhibition stressed export-led growth, the significant contribution of services to export targets, demonstration of new ICT products, and the role of digitised public services in enabling governance delivery and international collaboration.

Trade finance: conference explores closing the finance gap and using digital fintech to widen MSME access to credit.
The conference addresses the widening trade finance gap and explores how banks, development finance institutions and export credit agencies can bolster supply, while a second stream examines digitalisation and fintech-including network data, real time payments, SaaS and OCR-to reduce costs, speed implementation and expand MSME access to trade finance.

One District One Product initiative expands regional development through product selection, capacity building and international market promotion.
The One District One Product (ODOP) initiative promotes balanced regional development by selecting, branding and promoting a representative product from each district. Selection is undertaken by States/UTs based on local ecosystems, Export Hub designations and GI status, and the lists are communicated to the central coordinating body. Operational measures focus on capacity building, e commerce onboarding, buyer seller meets, diplomatic exhibitions and trade facilitation to expand domestic procurement and international market access for ODOP products.

Trade finance and resilient global value chains drive international trade agenda, promoting MSME integration and inclusive trade.
The meeting focuses on operational priorities: closing the trade finance gap via banks, development finance institutions, export credit agencies and digital fintech solutions; building resilient Global Value Chains to increase developing country participation and withstand shocks; and integrating MSMEs into global trade alongside development of efficient logistics to reduce cross-border and domestic transaction costs.

Export facilitation expands market access for Indian agricultural products via trade promotion and FTA-driven cost reductions.
APEDA facilitated Indian exporter participation at the International Food & Drink Exhibition in London to promote agricultural and processed food exports-highlighting millet-based value-added products, GI-tagged Alphonso mangoes, and wines-and employed face-to-face sampling, B2B meetings and promotional events. The agency combines export promotion, start-up incubation, and market development activities, and identifies quarantine relaxations and anticipated India-UK FTA negotiations as trade-policy mechanisms to improve market access and cost competitiveness in the United Kingdom.

Integrated infrastructure planning under PM GatiShakti supports multimodal projects enhancing connectivity and logistics efficiency nationwide.
The Network Planning Group under PM GatiShakti Principles recommended six integrated infrastructure projects across ministries to enhance multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency. Recommendations include an HVDC transmission system for renewable energy evacuation in Ladakh, Railways projects for elevated urban rail, a Ganga rail bridge, and line doubling to improve freight and passenger movement, and MoRTH road corridors with tunnels and four laning to link economic nodes, airports and rail hubs, all aimed at regional economic development and CO2 abatement.

Millet export promotion boosts market linkages and targets expanded global reach for producers through trade fairs and B2B platforms.
APEDA organized the Global Millets Conference and a 24x7 Virtual Trade Fair to connect about 100 Indian millet exhibitors with international buyers, facilitate B2B meetings and digital sessions, and promote direct marketing and export of millets and value added millet products. Complementary measures include international fairs, buyer seller meets, mission level promotions, and incubation of start ups to develop Ready to Eat/Ready to Cook products, all aimed at expanding global market linkages and achieving a defined export growth target by 2025.

Exchange rate determination sets specified foreign currency conversion rates for import and export valuation under customs law.
Determination fixes specified foreign currency conversion rates for customs valuation, with distinct import and export rates set out in Schedule I and Schedule II, and supersedes the prior notification except as to past actions; the rates take effect on the stated effective date for use in valuation and conversion of listed currencies.

PM Gati Shakti adoption for integrated planning advances district-level project coordination and logistics infrastructure development.
Regional implementation of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) is being promoted through a two day workshop to mainstream State Master Plans into the NMP, demonstrate the Unified Logistics Interface Platform, consider Inland Container Depots and Container Freight Stations for export facilitation, and establish roadmaps, quality improvement mechanisms and governance arrangements for district level integrated planning.

Exports growth projection highlights strong services performance while merchandise deficit widened, with key commodity shifts evident in estimates.
India's overall exports for April-February are projected to grow, driven by robust services export expansion while merchandise exports show moderate growth; imports rose as well, widening the combined trade deficit. February estimates show services exports increasing and merchandise exports contracting year on year, with notable declines in gold and silver imports. Data for the most recent services month are provisional and subject to revision.

Partnerships for sustainable development drive trade, digital cooperation, transparency, and technology skills matchmaking to boost resilient growth.
Commitments to international partnerships and cooperative frameworks underpin India's policy focus on resilient growth, expanded market access, and export promotion, including use of rupee settlement and bilateral agreements. Sustainability and the circular economy are central objectives, promoted alongside vaccine diplomacy and cultural engagement. Operational mechanisms include digital public infrastructure, MSME digitalisation, technology partnerships, skills mapping for international labour matching, and calls for a responsive multilateral institutional framework stressing transparency and accountability.