{"id":176382,"date":"2022-03-28T19:00:36","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T13:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=176382"},"modified":"2022-04-19T09:35:43","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T04:05:43","slug":"indias-exports-reach-usd-400-billion-reasons-challenges-and-way-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-exports-reach-usd-400-billion-reasons-challenges-and-way-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"India&#8217;s Exports Reach US$ 400 billion: Reasons, Challenges and Way Ahead &#8211; Explained, pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #f7f2f2;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\">For\u00a0<strong>7PM Editorial<\/strong>\u00a0Archives click<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/7-pm-editorials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE <\/a>\u2192<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>Introduction<\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The value of India\u2019s goods exports in the FY2021-22 hit $400 billion in March 2022 which is the highest till date and is expected to reach US$ 410 billion by the end of the month. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It adds another feather in the cap of the Indian Economy and shows its potential to serve the global market. Some experts have lauded this achievement while others have expressed caution that this growth is a result of an unmet demand that was accumulating during the pandemic. Nevertheless, crossing the threshold of US$ 400 billion is significant achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>What is the current status of India&#8217;s Exports?<\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to data from the Reserve Bank of India, outbound merchandise trade had clocked US$ 303.5 billion in 2017-18, US$ 330.1 billion in 2018-19 before slipping to US$ 313.4 billion in 2019-20. The numbers in 2019-20 were slightly dented due to the harsh national lockdowns imposed in the last week of that financial year. The exports fell to US$ 292 billion in FY2020-21 due to the pandemic. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, a swift recovery was witnessed in FY2021-22, with exports <\/span><b>crossing US$ 400 billion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in March 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exports have registered a 37% increase compared to the previous fiscal and 21% over the previous record high of exports of US$ 330 billion set in FY2018-19. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engineering exports have jumped 46.5% to cross US$ 100 billion for the first time. Chemicals, cotton yarn, handloom products, and the apparel industry have also done well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India had significantly boosted exports to key trading partners with outbound shipments to the UAE increasing by 65% during the fiscal and exports to the US increasing by 46%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/images.indianexpress.com\/2022\/03\/Exports-CHART-1.png?resize=750%2C508&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The image depicts the level of Indian Exports since 1970s UPSC\" width=\"750\" height=\"508\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Source: Indian Express<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-box-blue\">\r\n\t<span style =\"font-size: 20px;\">ForumIAS is now in <span style = \"font-weight:bold; padding:1px; color: #053259 ; \">Hyderabad<\/span>. <a style =\"color: blue\"href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/we-are-coming-to-hyderabad-with-sfg\/\"><b>Click here<\/b><\/a> to know more<\/span>\r\n<\/div>\n<h5>What are the reasons behind the surge in Exports?<\/h5>\n<p><b>Rise in Prices<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Higher prices of commodities and oil helped drive up the value of exports, with petroleum products exports jumping over 141%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Diversification in global economy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Many countries shifted their global procurement preferences to diversify their dependence on China following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus e.g.,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Australia, which is in the midst of a shrill trade battle with China, has made way for India, taking India&#8217;s exports to Australia up 94% so far this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Unmet Global Demand<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Another reason for such a huge rise could be the pent-up global demand that was unmet during major waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Monetary Policies of countries<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Expansionary monetary policy by developed economies in response to the economic impact of the pandemic has also boosted demand for Indian exports.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>What is the significance of rising exports?<\/h5>\n<p><b>Resilience Capabilities: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has managed to achieve its export target despite supply disruptions due to the pandemic, the challenging shortages of shipping containers and surging freight rates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Huge Growth Potential<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The rise in exports shows the huge magnitude of growth that India can generate with the right vision and inputs. The ~40% growth in FY2021-22 compared to 2020-21 would be<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0India\u2019s fastest export growth rate since 2009-10.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/images.indianexpress.com\/2022\/03\/Exports-CHART-3.png?resize=750%2C514&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The image depicts the growth rate trend of Indian Exports since 1999 UPSC\" width=\"750\" height=\"514\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Source: Indian Express<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, many goods like auto components, motor vehicles, cereal preparations, buffalo meat, rice etc. saw increases in overall export volumes despite stagnant or declining commodity prices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Atmanirbhar Bharat<\/b><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A surge in export shows India\u2019s rising might in manufacturing of goods thereby moving closer to the vision of <em>Atmanirbhar Bharat<\/em> and achieving self reliance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Attracting Foreign Investment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Rising exports signify the potential of a nation to serve the global market. This capability attracts a lot of foreign investment and helps in surging a nation&#8217;s foreign exchange reserves e.g., India\u2019s export potential has played a pivotal role in creating the current corpus of US$ 620 billion dollar forex reserves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Target Completion: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FY2021-22 reflects the first time in several years that the country has met its exports target. In the last few years, India was not able to achieve its intended target but this scenario has been altered in 2021-22.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>What steps have been taken to promote exports?<\/h5>\n<p><b>Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services as well as generation of employment and increasing value addition in the country, keeping in mind the vision of &#8216;Make in India&#8217;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) Scheme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It is a new scheme that is applicable with effect from January 1st, 2021, formed to replace the existing MEIS (Merchandise Exports from India Scheme).\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme will ensure that the exporters receive the refunds on the embedded taxes and duties previously non-recoverable. Mandi tax, VAT, Coal cess, Central Excise duty on fuel etc. will now be refunded under this particular scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><em>Niryat Bandhu<\/em> Scheme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It was launched with an objective to reach out to the new and potential exporters including exporters from Micro, Small &amp; Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). It aimed to mentor them through orientation programmes, counseling sessions, individual facilitation, etc., on various aspects of foreign trade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It has been launched to facilitate trade and increase Free Trade Agreement (FTA) utilization by exporters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Districts as Export Hubs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It aims at identifying products with export potential in each district, addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products and supporting local exporters\/manufacturers to generate employment in the district.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/government-approves-continuation-of-the-national-export-insurance-account-neia-scheme-and-infusion-of-rs-1650-crore-grant-in-aid-over-5-years\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Government approves continuation of the National Export Insurance Account (NEIA) scheme<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>What are some of the concerns that need to be addressed?<\/h5>\n<p><b>Competition from Neighbors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India hopes to consolidate the gains and establish its credentials as a credible alternative to China. However, it could face stiff competition in some sectors from Asian peers such as Vietnam and Bangladesh especially in the labor intensive sectors e.g., Bangladesh poses significant competition in the Jute Textile sector.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Russia-Ukraine Crisis:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The prolongation of the crisis will keep on driving the oil prices that may enhance cost of production in India which would in turn enhance the price of exporters. This rise in export price may reduce demand for Indian products and make them uncompetitive. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The crisis has also resulted in <strong>high shipping rates<\/strong>, <strong>container shortages<\/strong> and <strong>re-alignment of trade routes around the Black Sea<\/strong> that has enhanced the hardships of Indian Exporters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Monetary Tightening<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: As the situation of Pandemic normalizes, the developed world would do monetary tightening by raising interest rates. This may suck out dollars from emerging markets and create a financial crunch for companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Inward Looking stance of Nations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The COVID-19 pandemic has induced an inward-looking shift in nations. They are now focusing on enhancing domestic production and reducing the reliance on imports. This would eventually hamper Indian exports.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Delays in Governance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The red tapism and unenthusiastic attitude of bureaucrats creates unnecessary delays which impacts exporting potential of India.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e.g., a parliamentary committee has urged the government to include Special Economic Zones and sectors such as pharma, steel, and chemicals under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) Scheme. This finally kicked off last year after a significant delay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Exports as share of GDP<\/strong>: While the exports have achieved a new high, their proportion as a share of GDP still has a scope of lot of improvement. In FY2021-22, exports are ~14% of the GDP, below the high achieved in 2012-13 at 17%. A 17% share of exports today would have meant exports worth US$ 485 billion. Exports have 19% share in the Chinese economy (China&#8217;s highest share was ~36% in 2006)<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/images.indianexpress.com\/2022\/03\/Exports-Chart-2.png?resize=750%2C508&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The image depicts the share of exports in the GDP UPSC\" width=\"750\" height=\"508\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Source: Indian Express<\/em><\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-increasing-exports-and-challenges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Increasing exports in India and challenges in exports- Explained, pointwise<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h5>What lies ahead?<\/h5>\n<p><b>First<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, many economists expect the rupee to weaken over 2022-23, which in turn could be a<\/span><b> minor perk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for exporters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Second<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India should <\/span><b>grab on opportunities that are created by the Russia-Ukraine crisis <\/b>e.g.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, experts believe that the crisis may create opportunities for Indian farm produce exports, especially for crops like wheat and maize.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a swift conclusion of<\/span><b> Free Trade Agreement pacts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> being negotiated with countries like the U.K., Australia and Canada could create easier market access in these large markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Fourth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there should be <\/span><b>a timely review of India\u2019s Foreign trade policy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in order to provide a better environment for doing exports.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exporters await a long-overdue revision of the Foreign Trade Policy for 2015-20, which has now been extended into the first few months of 2022-23.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Fifth<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, apart from focusing on boosting exports,<\/span><b> focus should also be on reducing imports <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in order to stabilize the rising trade deficit.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India\u2019s imports have shot up to record levels and could end up ~US$ 600 billion compared to 2020-21\u2019s import figure of $393.6 billion. The trade deficit for the year could be around US$ 190 billion, sharply higher than the US$ 102 billion recorded in the pandemic year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5>Conclusion<\/h5>\n<p>The achievement of US$ 400 billion of exports is a major milestone for the Indian economy. However, many experts have rightly opined to be cautious. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to UNCTAD estimates, the positive trend for international trade in 2021 (calendar year) was largely the result of <strong>increases in commodity prices<\/strong>, <strong>subsiding pandemic restrictions<\/strong> and a <strong>strong recovery in demand<\/strong> due to economic stimulus packages. As these trends are likely to abate, international trade trends are expected to normalize during 2022. It is during this time the true picture might emerge and analysts will be able to undertake better analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/business\/Industry\/explained-how-significant-is-the-attainment-of-indias-400-billion-exports-target\/article65262065.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/business\/economy\/india-achieving-usd-400-bn-goods-export-target-key-aatmanirbhar-bharat-milestone-pm-7832607\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Express<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explainspeaking-400-billion-exports-record-india-gdp-growth-7839790\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Indian Express<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1795645#:~:text=The%20policy%2C%20inter%20alia%2C%20rationalised,for%20increasing%20exports%20of%20services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For\u00a07PM Editorial\u00a0Archives click\u00a0HERE \u2192 Introduction The value of India\u2019s goods exports in the FY2021-22 hit $400 billion in March 2022 which is the highest till date and is expected to reach US$ 410 billion by the end of the month. It adds another feather in the cap of the Indian Economy and shows its potential&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/indias-exports-reach-usd-400-billion-reasons-challenges-and-way-ahead\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">India&#8217;s Exports Reach US$ 400 billion: Reasons, Challenges and Way Ahead &#8211; Explained, pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10322,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-176382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","category-public","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":9,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1698368481},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10322"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176382\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}