Gandhinagar, Oct 16 (IANS) Gujarat govt will hold a state-level workshop on October 21 to help exporters and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make increased use of preferential market access available under India’s free trade agreements (FTAs), as the state looks to expand its presence in international markets.
The workshop, titled ‘Leveraging FTAs-Outreach Programme’, will be organised by the state government’s Industries and Mines Department in coordination with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) in Gandhinagar.
The programme will focus on raising awareness among industries, exporters and MSMEs about opportunities under India’s FTAs and helping businesses understand how to use these agreements to improve their access to overseas markets.
Discussions will cover preferential tariff benefits, rules of origin, sector-specific policies, international market access and measures to improve export preparedness.
The workshop will also bring together government departments, export promotion institutions, industry associations and business representatives to identify practical ways to increase Gujarat’s exports and make better use of the benefits available under the trade agreements.
The priority sectors identified for the programme include textiles, apparel and made-ups; gems and jewellery; electronics and semiconductors; engineering; chemicals and petrochemicals; pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices; agriculture, dairy, food processing and marine products.
Services, including information technology and IT-enabled services (IT/ITeS), artificial intelligence (AI) and fintech, will also be covered.
The initiative comes as Gujarat seeks to widen export opportunities for its industries and MSMEs, diversify its export markets and strengthen its integration into global value chains.
By bringing together central and state government representatives and industry stakeholders, the workshop aims to help businesses translate the market-access opportunities offered by India’s FTAs into practical export opportunities.
The state government has identified greater awareness and utilisation of the agreements as important areas of focus for strengthening export competitiveness, particularly among businesses seeking to enter or expand in international markets.
The workshop will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss sector-specific requirements and identify measures to help Gujarat’s exporters benefit from preferential access under India’s trade agreements.
–IANS
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