Telangana organised a State-level mega outreach programme on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on Monday to help exporters, manufacturers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) tap international markets and benefit from preferential trade arrangements.
The programme was organised by the Department of Commerce in collaboration with the Office of the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Hyderabad, and the Telangana Industries and Commerce Department. ITPO participated as the knowledge partner, with support from the National Turmeric Board and the Department of Commerce.
More than 300 representatives from Export Promotion Councils, industries and other stakeholders from 31 locations participated in the workshop, along with district collectors from six districts. Discussions focused on expanding Telangana’s export potential across agriculture, spices, pharmaceuticals, engineering, chemicals, food processing and other sectors.
Industries and Commerce Minister D. Sridhar Babu inaugurated the programme and highlighted the State government’s efforts to promote trade and investment, increase Telangana’s contribution to India’s GDP and support the country’s target of achieving USD 1 trillion in exports during the current financial year.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju urged industries to make effective use of the FTAs and asked district administrations to act as economic ambassadors. He called on officials to facilitate, promote and support exporters to strengthen the State’s export performance.
Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Petal Dhillon explained the benefits of FTAs, including preferential tariffs, market access, investment and technology opportunities. She also highlighted their potential benefits for farmers, entrepreneurs, women, start-ups and the services sector.
Special Secretary, Industries Department, Krishna Aditya encouraged exporters to approach the State government for assistance under various schemes and information on international markets. Agriculture Secretary Surendra Mohan highlighted Telangana’s agricultural export potential, while National Turmeric Board Secretary N. Bhavani Sri outlined opportunities for expanding exports of turmeric and value-added products.
Additional DGFT R. Sampath Kumar highlighted the link between the Export Promotion Mission and the Districts as Export Hubs initiative, stressing district-level export planning and stronger market access for local enterprises.
The workshop also featured sector-specific discussions on agriculture, gems and jewellery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, engineering and electronics, and textiles. Participants examined product-specific export opportunities, preferential tariffs, Rules of Origin, quality standards and market-entry requirements under India’s FTAs.
A demonstration of the Trade Connect ePlatform familiarised participants with its trade information, market intelligence and export facilitation services. Discussions also covered the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme and opportunities in the IT and electronics sector.
The programme stressed coordinated efforts between government departments, export promotion bodies and industry associations to strengthen Telangana’s export ecosystem and help local businesses access global markets.
