Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal to Attend Inaugural Session of 68th APO Governing Body Meeting on 21 May

APO National Awards to Recognise Productivity Advocates and Technical Experts During 68th Governing Body Meeting

The 68th Session of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Governing Body is being hosted by the Government of India, as Chair of the APO, from 20 to 22 May 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The session will bring together over 60 senior delegates representing 20 APO member economies.

The inaugural session on 21 May 2026 will be attended by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal. APO Directors, Advisors, representatives of diplomatic missions of APO member economies and invitees are expected to attend the event. Observers from the governments of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Bhutan, as well as the Global Green Growth Institute, will also participate.

The three-day event will feature high-level discussions on the APO Vision 2030 framework, the APO preliminary budget for the 2027–28 biennium and the review of APO Secretary-General election procedures.

Key agenda items include formal inauguration and opening of the 68th Governing Body Meeting (GBM); election of the APO Chair and Vice Chairs for 2026–27; consideration and adoption of the APO Annual and Financial Report; deliberations on budget proposals and institutional reforms; review of progress under APO Vision 2030 and Secretariat performance; and endorsement of key policy and procedural recommendations.

During the inaugural session, awards will be conferred under the APO National Awards Programme in the categories of APO National Award for Productivity Advocates and APO National Award for Productivity Technical Experts.

The awards aim to strengthen the role of National Productivity Organizations (NPOs) in promoting and recognizing outstanding productivity champions driving impactful initiatives, while encouraging a culture of productivity leading to tangible improvements across APO member economies.

The Governing Body (GB) is the highest decision-making body of the APO and serves as the apex institutional forum for governance, strategic oversight and organizational decision-making. Held annually, the Governing Body Meeting brings together official representatives of all APO member economies to deliberate on the strategic direction of the organization, annual programme priorities, governance frameworks, institutional performance and financial planning.

Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, assumed the Chairmanship of the APO Governing Body at the 67th Session of the APO Governing Body held in May 2025. During the same session, India announced its decision to host the 68th Session of the APO Governing Body.

Established in 1961, the Asian Productivity Organization is an intergovernmental organization comprising 21 member economies from the Asia-Pacific region. The APO is committed to enhancing productivity for sustainable socioeconomic development through mutual cooperation and knowledge sharing. Over the past six decades, the organization has played a significant role in strengthening member economies through policy dialogue, technical cooperation, institutional capacity building, knowledge exchange and dissemination of best practices in productivity enhancement.

The event will also provide opportunities for bilateral and multilateral engagements, fostering knowledge exchange and strengthening cooperation among member economies.

India’s hosting of the 68th Session of the APO Governing Body reflects its continued commitment to promoting productivity-led growth, innovation and sustainable development in the region, in alignment with national priorities and global economic trends.