Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Tuesday that the Modi government has transformed India’s export landscape by enabling exporters to operate from any location, eliminating the previous requirement to be situated within Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
Speaking at the Exim Bank Trade Conclave on June 24, 2025, the Finance Minister emphasised that India’s export performance has exceeded global growth rates.
The government has adopted a clustered development approach to create export hubs through various initiatives including Make in India, Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) schemes, One District One Product (ODOP), and Districts as Export Hubs (DEH).
This strategy represents a significant departure from the decades-old system where SEZs were the primary drivers of export promotion.
Sitharaman explained that over the past decade, the government has introduced a new dimension allowing businesses to export directly from districts without requiring SEZ locations.
She noted that while SEZs will continue to function as specialised export promotion zones, they are no longer the exclusive pathway for export activities.
India’s export performance has demonstrated remarkable growth, with total exports reaching an all-time high of USD 825 billion, representing a 6.3 per cent increase.
This growth significantly outpaced the global export growth rate of 4 per cent. The country achieved a substantial increase of over USD 466 billion compared to 2013-14 figures.
The Finance Minister highlighted a qualitative transformation in India’s export composition, moving beyond traditional bulk exports of raw materials and commodities.
Current exports increasingly feature technology-infused, high-end products that incorporate innovation and intellectual property. This shift reflects India’s evolution toward exporting well-engineered products that meet international standards.
Sectors supported by PLI schemes have contributed significantly to this export success, generating exports worth ₹5.31 lakh crore or USD 62 billion.
The primary contributors within this category include large-scale electronics manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, and telecommunications and network products, demonstrating the diversification and technological advancement of India’s export portfolio.
