**Summary:**
On June 30, 2025, in New Delhi, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal led discussions with Export Promotion Councils and Industry Associations regarding Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The meeting, held at Vanijya Bhawan, included representatives from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue, Export Promotion Councils, and Industry Associations. Discussions covered the status, challenges, and opportunities related to existing and proposed FTAs, as well as industry expectations for ongoing FTA negotiations. The Department of Commerce presented on the performance of SEZs, recent reforms, and proposed further reforms aimed at simplifying procedures, increasing economies of scale, and utilizing idle capacities to contribute to achieving a US$5 trillion economy by 2027. Breakout sessions addressed ICEGATE implementation at SEZs with officials from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue, and trade members. Representatives from various sectors, including Textile, Apparel, Engineering, Gems & Jewellery, Medical Devices, Services, FIEO, Ayush, and Leather, expressed support for the government's efforts to create a favorable trade environment and market opportunities. Shri Goyal reiterated the government's commitment to ease of doing business and creating market opportunities for Indian exporters, while emphasizing the need for industry to enhance manufacturing capabilities, diversify supply chains, and reduce import dependency to achieve Atmanirbhar Bharat. Release ID: 2140944.
Key Entities Referenced
Piyush Goyal: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry
Export Promotion Councils: Organizations that promote exports from India
Industry Associations: Groups representing various industries in India
New Delhi: Location of the meeting; Capital of India
Department of Commerce: A department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Department of Revenue: A department in the Ministry of Finance concerned with revenue collection
Free Trade Agreements: Trade agreements between countries
SEZs: Special Economic Zones
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush
Goyal leads Discussions with Export Promotion
Councils & Industry Associations in New Delhi
Posted On: 30 JUN 2025 8:27PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, chaired a meeting with Export Promotion
Councils and Industry Associations at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi today. The meeting brought together
representatives from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue, Export Promotion Councils and
Industry Associations.
Discussions centred around the various Free Trade Agreements (FTA) concluded in the past, status and
challenges in utilisation of such FTAs, opportunities created by the recently concluded FTAs and industry
views and expectations for the proposed and ongoing FTA negotiations.
The session also featured presentations from the Department of Commerce on the performance of SEZs and
the recent reforms undertaken as well as further reforms proposed. The objective of the proposed reforms was
to simplify the procedures, increase economies of scales, utilise the idle capacities at SEZs to realise the
objectives of the country for achieving the US $ 5 Trillion economy by 2027.
Breakout sessions were also held with Officials from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue
and Members of Trade on ICEGATE Implementation at SEZs.
The representatives of Export Promotion Councils & Industry Associations from various sectors like Textile,
Apparel, Engineering, Gems & Jewellery, Medical Devices, Services Sector, FIEO, Ayush, Leather,
Assocham, etc welcomed the efforts of the Union Minister in creating the best possible Trade Environment
and Market Opportunities.
Shri Piyush Goyal reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to create a facilitative trade environment
through initiatives of ease of doing business, creating more market opportunities to the Indian Exporters. He
emphasized that the industry should ramp up their manufacturing capabilities, diversify supply chains, reduce
import dependency to realise the goal of becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan
(Release ID: 2140944)