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37 statutory bodies stand between India’s exporters and buyers. Dismantle them

To hit aggressive $2 trillion trade targets, India needs to dismantle outdated trade councils and trust raw market competition.

A few days ago, Japan banned Indian mangoes for the first time in 20 years. Since 2010, the European Commission has maintained a continuous emergency measure on every shipment of Indian aquaculture products. According to Commission Decision 2010/381/EU, every Indian seafood product must be tested before leaving port in India, and EU member states must then retest 50 per cent of arriving consignments. Even with this double screening in place, the Commission’s 2018 audit and subsequent rapid alerts flagged the presence of banned antibiotic residues. Across the Atlantic, the United States Food and Drug Administration’s import-refusal records show more than 25,000 rejected Indian consignments over the past decade. For a country that markets itself as the next factory of the world, these numbers are a humiliating revelation.

India has still set a target of $2 trillion in total exports by 2030–31, up from $860 billion in FY 2025–26. Meeting that target requires a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 18 per cent over the next five years. Last year, India managed 4.22 per cent. Over the past 13 years, the CAGR for merchandise and services exports combined has averaged 4.85 per cent. Some of last year’s underperformance can be attributed to US tariffs and turmoil in the Middle East, but that would not explain the long-term trend. 

How can this be? India has 37 statutory and quasi-statutory bodies whose stated purpose is to promote exports. Fourteen export promotion councils sit under the Department of Commerce, covering engineering, gems and jewellery, leather, pharmaceuticals, textiles, plastics, chemicals, services, project exports, sports goods, handicrafts, oilseeds, silk, and apparel. Five commodity boards govern tea, coffee, rubber, tobacco, and spices. Statutory........

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