TS told to step up exports

Union Commerce Secretary Rita Teotia has said Telangana should have a strategy in place to increase exports from the State.

Apart from IT and Pharma sectors, State should focus on other sectors too for exports like value added products through the agriculture based industries, she said in a meeting held with Chief Secretary S. K. Joshi and other senior officials at the Secretariat here on Friday to review exports from the State.

She asked Telangana to depute a team to the Global Exhibition on Exports to be held at Mumbai in May. A nodal officer would be appointed to discuss with the State government on issues related to Union Commerce department. The meeting also discussed infrastructure required for increasing exports.

Appreciating the Union Commerce Department for conducting the review, Dr. Joshi said it would help the State to review its potential and the government would focus its attention on the issues raised in the meeting. The State would take all measures suggested by the Union Commerce Department to increase exports from the State.

Telangana was leading in IT and Pharma products exports and the government was making serious efforts to set up agriculture based industries, the Chief Secretary said. Abundant opportunities in Tourism, Medical tourism, Services, Hospitality and other sectors would be utilised to step up exports, he added.

The Chief Secretary told the Central official that 30 % of pharmaceutical products in the country were manufactured in Telangana and the State accounted for 20 % of pharma exports. The value of exports in 2016-17 was ₹85,470 crore.

Ms.Teotia later reviewed goods and products being exported from Telangana and discussed exports of egg powder, essential oils, meat, rice, textiles and cotton. She also said the data exploring the possibilities of exports to various countries through the Central Commerce Department should be analysed regularly.