India Sets ₹25,000 Crore Export Engine in Motion as Goyal Launches Plan

Why It Matters

EPM provides a substantial fiscal push that could lift India’s export share while diversifying its industrial base, positioning the country as a resilient, technology‑enabled trade partner.

Key Takeaways

• ₹25,060 crore allocated to Export Promotion Mission
• Mission spans six years, targeting MSME exporters
• Integrated digital platform simplifies export procedures
• Focus on labour‑intensive sectors and new regions
• Aligns with AI, data centre, quantum initiatives

Pulse Analysis

India’s new Export Promotion Mission marks a decisive shift from ad‑hoc incentives to a cohesive, budget‑backed strategy. With ₹25,060 crore earmarked over six years, the government is betting on scale and digital efficiency to overcome traditional bottlenecks that have hampered small exporters. By unifying disparate schemes under a single portal, the EPM promises faster clearances, reduced paperwork, and real‑time compliance tools, all of which are critical as global supply chains recalibrate amid tariff volatility and new trade accords.

The mission’s emphasis on micro, small and medium enterprises reflects a broader policy aim to democratise international trade. Historically, India’s export basket has been dominated by large manufacturers in a handful of ports, leaving countless MSMEs on the periphery. EPM’s outreach to labour‑intensive industries and under‑served districts could unlock millions of jobs and diversify the country’s export profile. Coupled with ongoing negotiations with the US, UK, EU and EFTA, the programme positions India to capture emerging market opportunities while insulating domestic producers from external shocks.

Beyond traditional goods, the plan explicitly ties export growth to high‑tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, data centres, and quantum computing. By promoting indigenous language models and advanced manufacturing, the government signals intent to move up the value chain and attract foreign direct investment into knowledge‑intensive clusters. For investors and multinational firms, EPM offers a clearer, more predictable pathway to partner with Indian suppliers, potentially reshaping global sourcing dynamics and reinforcing India’s role as a next‑generation export powerhouse.

India sets ₹25,000 crore export engine in motion as Goyal launches plan

ET Online · Last Updated: Feb 20, 2026, 12:43 PM IST

India on Friday unveiled an ambitious export push, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal launching the ₹25,060‑crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM), aimed at accelerating outbound shipments and making global trade more accessible to smaller businesses.

“It is the power of 1.4 billion Indians that encourages us to look at a 25,000 crore‑rupee export promotion mission,” Goyal said.

Announced in the Union Budget 2025‑26, the mission brings a range of export‑support schemes under a single, integrated framework, marking a shift toward a more streamlined and digitally driven system. Spread over six years, the programme is designed to simplify processes and reduce friction for exporters, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The initiative comes at a time of shifting global‑trade equations, with tariff pressures and new trade agreements reshaping supply chains. Against this backdrop, the government is positioning EPM as both a cushion against external shocks and a lever to tap new markets through ongoing engagements with partners such as the US, UK, EU and EFTA.

At its core, the mission targets segments often left out of India’s export success story – MSMEs, labour‑intensive industries and districts beyond traditional export hubs – signalling a push toward broader, more inclusive growth.

Goyal framed the mission as part of a larger economic transformation, linking export growth with emerging sectors and employment opportunities.

“The centre stage of an evolved future, not only for India but for the entire world. This is going to set the platform on which we will see rapid and inclusive growth for India and all Indians. This will provide opportunities to our young men and women.”

“Going forward, it’s going to open up a flood of opportunities, with more and more investments coming into this field – whether it’s data centres, engagement with artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, developing our own language models (LLMs), or seeing how we can be at the forefront of applying AI, where we have significant talent, skills, and strengths,” he added.

Synopsis

India is stepping onto the global trade stage with a robust Export Promotion Mission aimed at revolutionising its outbound trade. The six‑year programme seeks to ease the path for smaller companies, making exporting more straightforward and accessible, while adapting to shifting global trade trends.