Matribhumi Samachar English
NEW DELHI – In a major push to decentralize India’s trade economy, the Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, informed the Lok Sabha today that the Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative has successfully reached all 36 States and Union Territories.
With a vision to transform every district into a self-reliant economic powerhouse, the government has prepared District Export Action Plans (DEAPs) for 590 districts, of which 249 have already been formally notified.
From Local Streets to Global Shelves
The initiative identifies unique local products with high international demand, providing them with the branding and logistics support needed to compete globally. Key highlights from the identified clusters include:
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Gujarat: Sabarkantha (Ceramics, Tiles, Potato) and Aravalli (Minerals, Glass).
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Maharashtra: The famous Jalgaon Banana and Jalgaon Bharit Brinjal.
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Chhattisgarh: Bastar Iron Craft and Raipur’s Rice and Mango clusters.
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Madhya Pradesh: Pharma and Onions in Indore; Oranges in Agar Malwa.
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Jharkhand: Bamboo crafts and diverse forest produce.
Empowering the Grassroots
By establishing State Export Promotion Committees (SEPC) and District Export Promotion Committees (DEPC), the government is moving away from a “port-centric” model to a “district-led” growth strategy. This framework is specifically designed to:
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Solve Logistics Gaps: Identifying bottlenecks in cold storage and transport.
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Support MSMEs: Training small-scale hunters and farmers on export documentation.
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Digital Integration: Using portals like
niryat.gov.into provide real-time trade data to local businesses.
This decentralized approach not only aims to boost the national GDP but also ensures that the benefits of global trade reach rural artisans and small-scale industries, fostering true Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India).
