The Tamil Nadu government has established an exclusive cell to facilitate exports, Neeraj Mittal, MD and Chief Executive Officer, GUIDANCE, said here on Saturday.
At a virtual conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on ‘Explore Export 2020’, he said GUIDANCE has now export promotion as a mandate with dedicated resources. The cell would answer questions from exporters, match trade partners, incentivise exporters and address export issues. The government had taken sector-specific measures to promote exports, he said.
Thoothukudi VOC Port Trust chairman T.K. Ramachandran said the VOC Port could be a major attraction for investors to establish industries in southern districts. The port, which has well-trained personnel and state-of-the-art gadgets, could handle large volumes of cargo. It has a plenty of land for industrial development, he said, inviting entrepreneurs to set up shop here. CII Tamil Nadu Chairman Hari K. Thiagarajan said exporters should utilise government schemes, especially those under ‘Make in India’. Exporters from this region should aim not only for job creation but also a higher share in India’s exports on a higher gross value. By producing higher volumes, local consumption could improve and products would be visible in global markets, he said.
Since the lockdown due to COVID-19, the exports had declined to 35% between March and May, but the situation was promising from mid-June, said Dinesh Dua, CII (North India) and chairman, Pharmexcil. The next three months looked positive for exports as the industry, especially the health sector, had made face masks and personal protective equipment to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.
Event chairman V. Krishna Shankar said the objective of the conference was to prompt exporters to achieve a 5% share in world merchandise trade and services trade by 2025.