CII Says Exports To Reach $200bn By 2009

New Delhi: India''s total export of merchandise goods will attain $200 billion in 2009, implying that exports will register more than 20 per cent growth for all the five years of the policy (2004-09). This has been pointed in a CEO survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on the Foreign Trade Policy. CII members are of the view that India will become a major player in the global market if the Government ensures stability with no mid-term changes to the policy. They seek schemes such as Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB), Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) and Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) to continue.

The CEOs wanted the annual supplement to focus on issues like modifying export and import procedures for small and medium enterprises, which contribute a large portion of total exports from the country. The survey recommends that exporters are looking for new export promotion schemes to promote export of goods and services and completely exclude duties and taxes. Competition in global markets, according to the survey, for Indian products are from China, Romania, Brazil, Sweden, France, Vietnam Bangladesh and ASEAN countries. The products that face intense competition include capital goods, high-tech products, healthcare products, medical equipment, automobile and information technology.