Sarabjit Kaur
Odisha is working on a new export policy and has set an export target of Rs 1 lakh crore by 2025, a minister on Saturday said.
The state had registered exports of Rs 40,000 crore in 2016-17 and is eyeing Rs 50,000 crore exports in the current fiscal.
Odisha may touch an export turnover of Rs 1 lakh crore before 2025,” said micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) minister Prafulla Samal after inaugurating the much-awaited export building Raptani Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
Stating that the state is going to have a new export policy soon, Samal said that the roadmap is being prepared in consultation with Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).
With the opening and shifting of all export related organisations under a single roof, exporters will be able to get services at a common point, which in turn will help furthering the growth of exports, Samal said.
Directorate of Export Promotion and Marketing, Odisha and FIEO have started functioning as soon as opening of the Raptani Bhawan.
Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) and Office of Director General of Foreign Trade, which have already been allotted space at Raptani Bhawan, will start operation very soon.
MSME’s additional chief secretary L N Gupta said that Odisha had the highest growth rate of 114 per cent amongst all the states during 2016-17 and the centre has recognised it as champion state .
“A trend of increase in Odisha export continues, which is reflected in the export turnover of nearly Rs 26,000 crore by November 2017. To further boost the export turnover from Odisha, a new export strategy will be in place shortly,” Gupta said.
He said that the new export strategy will focus on improvement in standards of quality and products, value addition in traditional export products, products and market diversification, downstream and ancillarisation of industries, unleashing the potential of e-commerce and development of eco-tourism in the state.
Gupta said that in order to improve the quality of products and services, MSMEs should register themselves under the Zero Effect-Zero Defect programme offered by the Quality Council of India.
He hoped that with the commencement of commercial operations by the quality control laboratory of MPEDA and testing laboratory of Export Inspection Agency, standard and quality of exports would get further improved.
Omkar Rai, director general, STPI while gracing the occasion, said that the Raptani Bhawan is a landmark decision of the state government which can cater to exporters in a holistic manner.
He said that there is a vast potential of IT and ITES services exports from Odisha.
Last year, IT and ITeS exports from Odisha was of the order of Rs 3,500 crore, which are likely to increase this year.
