India no longer depends solely on SEZs for exports, says FM Sitharaman; highlights record $825 bn in total exports.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that India’s export ecosystem is no longer restricted to Special Economic Zones (SEZs), as the government’s policy shift now enables exports directly from districts. Addressing the Exim Bank Trade Conclave, she credited schemes like Make in India, Production-Linked Incentives (PLI), One District One Product (ODOP), and Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) for decentralising export capabilities.
“SEZs will still function as specialised hubs, but exports today can happen from any well-developed cluster,” she said, underlining a transformation in India’s approach to trade. Sitharaman noted that while global exports rose by 4%, India recorded a 6.3% growth, reaching an all-time high of $825 billion, up from $466 billion in 2013–14.
She emphasised a shift not just in volume, but in value-added exports, with an increasing share of high-tech and innovation-driven products. Goods from PLI-backed sectors alone contributed over ₹5.31 lakh crore ($62 billion), with strong performance in electronics, pharma, food processing, and telecom equipment.
Source: The Hindu
