Production linked incentives and tariff measures strengthen domestic electronics manufacturing and boost mobile phone exports.
Key policy measures to boost domestic electronics manufacturing and exports center on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for electronics and IT hardware, the SPECS scheme, and EMC 2.0, supported by FDI allowance on the automatic route. The Phased Manufacturing Programme promotes domestic value addition in mobile phones and sub-assemblies, while tariff rationalisation aims to improve competitiveness, forming a coordinated framework to increase domestic production and exports of electronic goods including mobile phones.

Special Economic Zones: promoting exports and investment to drive employment and infrastructure development across designated zones.
Section 5 of the SEZs Act, 2005 establishes Special Economic Zones to promote exports, attract domestic and foreign investment, create employment, and develop infrastructure. Operational data over five years report changes in export volumes, cumulative employment, and cumulative investment, providing measurable metrics to assess the scheme's performance against its statutory objectives.

Free trade agreements negotiation: India pursuing multiple FTAs emphasizing trade in services and movement of natural persons.
India's only Free Trade Agreement concluded in the recent five-year span is the India-Mauritius CECPA; a range of other FTAs with partners across Asia, Europe, North America, Australia and Africa are under negotiation without predictable completion timelines. Most proposed and concluded agreements include a Trade in Services chapter with an annex on Movement of Natural Persons to govern temporary entry and stay of service suppliers.

Agriculture Export Policy drives APEDA led measures to expand rice exports and strengthen export infrastructure and quality.
India's rice shipments recorded substantial growth through 2020 21 and early 2021 22, with expansion into new destinations and strong Non Basmati performance. APEDA, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has driven export facilitation via port handling upgrades, the Rice Export Promotion Forum to coordinate stakeholders, and support to the Basmati Export Development Foundation for farmer training and quality promotion. State Specific Action Plans aligned with the Agriculture Export Policy have been advanced to strengthen cluster infrastructure and export capacity.

WTO compliance governs import restrictions, permitting national-interest trade measures while promoting domestic manufacturing.
Import restrictions in response to calls for a ban on Chinese goods must adhere to WTO compliance; the government may regulate imports on national interest grounds using WTO-consistent policy measures and trade remedies. To reduce dependency on imports, policies promoting domestic capacity-such as production linked incentive schemes under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative-are being implemented.

Industrial corridor programme advances greenfield nodes with plug and play infrastructure to boost manufacturing, employment and investment.
Government implements the National Industrial Corridor programme to develop greenfield industrial nodes with plug and play infrastructure to expand industrial output, increase employment and improve living facilities. Approval covers eleven industrial corridors comprising thirty two projects across multiple states, with statewise corridors and designated industrial nodes listed. Consultants have been appointed for master planning and preliminary engineering for specified DMIC nodes and no new SEZ is proposed in Rajasthan.

Extension of export realization period to fifteen months for specified exports; complementary government measures launched to boost exports.
Government extended the period for realization and repatriation of export proceeds from nine to fifteen months for exports made up to and on July 31, 2020, relaxing foreign exchange timelines. Complementary measures include corrective review and extension of the Foreign Trade Policy, launch of RoDTEP and RoSCTL incentive schemes, TIES and MAI support, a Transport and Marketing Assistance scheme for agricultural freight, a Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin, services sector action plans, district export hub promotion, enhanced role for missions abroad, and MSME financial relief measures.

Export promotion through targeted schemes increases export share in GDP by strengthening infrastructure and market access.
The Government advances a target-driven export promotion strategy combining district-level export hubs and action plans, market development schemes and sectoral export promotion authorities, together with logistical and fiscal support measures such as Transport and Marketing Assistance, Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, a digital Certificate of Origin platform, and the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) to mitigate cost disadvantages and enhance exporters' market access and competitiveness.

FDI policy openness permits widespread investment under the Automatic route, bolstering reforms and investor engagement.
India's FDI inflows rose steadily over seven years to a cumulative US$ 440.26 billion, with growth from US$ 45.15 billion in 2014-15 to US$ 81.97 billion in 2020-21; the policy framework is investor friendly, allowing 100% FDI in most sectors under the Automatic route, subject to limited sectoral restrictions and ongoing policy review and stakeholder consultation.

Import policy measures bolstered to incentivise domestic manufacturing, enforce rules of origin and enhance import monitoring and remedies.
To address import dependence and support domestic supply, the Government has implemented measures including Production Linked Incentive Schemes, phased manufacturing plans, mandatory technical standards, enforcement of Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin, use of trade remedy instruments, and development of an import monitoring system to incentivise domestic manufacturing and enable targeted monitoring and remedial action.

Agricultural export support schemes expand oilmeal exports through incentives, infrastructure support and freight assistance nationwide.
The Government supports the oilmeal sector through targeted schemes to modernise infrastructure and upgrade processing units, including Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, PMFME, and PLI for investments, technical and business support. A comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy and Department of Commerce programmes such as Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme and Market Access Initiatives, together with export promotion schemes and a Central Sector Transport and Marketing Assistance scheme, provide export facilitation and mitigate international freight disadvantage for agricultural exports including oilmeals.

WTO panel findings on sugar challenged; India to appeal while maintaining existing sugar policy measures.
India rejects the WTO Panel's findings on its sugar-sector measures as erroneous and unreasoned, maintains those measures are consistent with its obligations under the WTO agreements, will not alter existing policy measures, and has initiated steps to file an appeal at the WTO to protect the interests of its farmers against allegations of excessive domestic support and prohibited export subsidies.

Trade growth: exports and imports rose in November 2021, widening the trade deficit while services contributed a surplus.
India's foreign trade in November 2021 showed overall exports estimated at USD 50.36 billion and imports at USD 64.75 billion, with year-on-year growth in both flows and a widened trade balance deficit; merchandise and services components both rose, non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery trade increased significantly, commodity-level data show gains in petroleum products, engineering goods and chemicals while some items declined, and services estimates for November are provisional pending RBI revisions.

Trade Agreements driving India's push for enhanced FTAs and investment ties to deepen regional economic integration and sustainability.
India called for strengthening economic integration through enhanced Free Trade Agreements, expanded investment ties, and attraction of cross border corporate investments to deepen global value chain participation. Operational measures include investment promotion in priority sectors, implementation of the PLI Scheme and Liberalised FDI Policy, and regulatory facilitation via the National Single Window System, Industrial Land Bank and infrastructure initiatives to improve ease of doing business. Sustainability, renewable energy expansion and start up innovation are advanced as co equal priorities for resilient, inclusive partnerships.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aims to secure reciprocal market access and novel trade provisions between India and the UAE.
India and the United Arab Emirates are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) intended for imminent conclusion. The agreement is designed to provide reciprocal market access and will include provisions described as novel for both parties. Framed as mutually beneficial, the CEPA aims to create preferential terms for trade in goods and services and to facilitate investment flows between the two jurisdictions, with negotiators seeking expedited finalisation to capitalise on recent improvements in trade and investment activity.

Reducing compliance burden by creating a National Citizen Centric Portal and Single Business IDs to streamline services.
Centre's reform agenda aims to reduce compliance burden by integrating Central and State systems, creating Single Business IDs and standardising information; establishing a National Citizen Centric Portal and National Digital Profile to unify citizen services, pre fill forms and enable Digilocker interoperability; and strengthening grievance redressal through evaluation of CPGRAMS, state initiatives, accountability mechanisms and next generation technologies.

MSME export promotion through capacity building, digital market access and targeted trade facilitation measures to boost competitiveness.
Government measures to enhance MSME exports focus on capacity building, market access, technological upgradation and financial support. Key operational initiatives include Export Facilitation Centers and Enterprise Development Centers for mentoring and one stop services, MSME Technology Centres for skill and technical support, a Cluster Development Programme to boost competitiveness, and market access measures including an International Cooperation Scheme, a B2B portal (MSME Mart), targeted export assistance schemes, RoDTEP/RoSCTL reforms and a Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin.

One District One Product initiative aligning districts to export potential and strengthening institutional export support mechanisms.
The Central Government integrated the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative with the Districts as Export Hub framework to identify and update district-level products and services with export potential through State/UT consultations. Institutional State and District Export Promotion Committees support export promotion and address bottlenecks. Districts Export Action Plans prescribe actions to ensure adequate quantity and quality, improve supply chains and market access, foster technology and innovation at district level, and provide handholding to increase exports. Employment and investment data under ODOP are not maintained centrally.

Export promotion measures expand incentives, digital trade facilitation, and targeted support to strengthen export competitiveness nationwide.
The Government has implemented a coordinated export-promotion framework combining policy review and extension of the Foreign Trade Policy, launch of incentive schemes including RoDTEP and RoSCTL, freight assistance for agricultural exports, digitalisation of Certificates of Origin, targeted support schemes (TIES, MAI), services-sector action plans, district-level export hub promotion, enhanced mission-led trade promotion, and pandemic-related financial relief for industry and MSMEs.

Export support schemes expanding market access through freight assistance, targeted market promotion and remission of domestic levies.
Central export facilitation measures include a Transport and Marketing Assistance scheme providing freight support for specified agricultural exports and the Market Access Initiative offering product-country focused promotion funding to trade and research bodies. Sectoral export authorities and Export Promotion Councils provide specialized assistance. Complementary measures identify Districts as Export Hubs, finance export infrastructure under the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, and implement RoDTEP to remit otherwise non-reimbursed central, state and local levies. A Common Digital Platform for Certificates of Origin and enhanced overseas mission engagement aim to boost market access and FTA utilization.