The Government’s flagship Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) initiative is making steady progress, with institutional mechanisms now in place across all States and Union Territories to boost grassroots export growth.
Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Jitin Prasada, informed the Lok Sabha that State Export Promotion Committees (SEPCs) and District Export Promotion Committees (DEPCs) have been constituted in all 36 States/UTs. These bodies are tasked with identifying export opportunities, resolving bottlenecks, and driving district-level export strategies.
As part of the initiative, Draft District Export Action Plans (DEAPs) have been prepared for 590 districts, of which 249 have already been formally notified by respective DEPCs.
Key Product Identifications Across Districts
The DEH initiative has mapped district-specific products with strong export potential:
Sabarkantha (Gujarat): Ceramic & tiles, potato
Aravalli (Gujarat): Minerals, agro-processing, glass and tiles
Jalgaon (Maharashtra): Jalgaon banana, Jalgaon Bharit brinjal
Madhya Pradesh: Products identified across all 52 districts, including onions and pharmaceuticals in Indore, and oranges in Agar Malwa
Chhattisgarh: Rice, maize, mango (Raipur), and Bastar iron craft (Bastar)
Jharkhand: Bamboo craft, forest produce, and vegetables
Strengthening Export Ecosystem
The government has also rolled out outreach programmes across regions to build awareness among exporters and address operational challenges. The initiative focuses on:
Supporting MSMEs, farmers, and small-scale industries
Creating new exporters at the district level
Identifying global markets for local products
Promoting GI-tagged products, agricultural clusters, and toy clusters
Export-related data has been made publicly accessible through government portals such as the Niryat portal and DGCI&S platform, enhancing transparency and enabling better decision-making for exporters.
Driving Local-to-Global Vision
The DEH initiative aims to decentralise export growth, shifting the focus from national to district-level planning. By enabling local manufacturers and producers to access international markets, the programme is expected to strengthen India’s push towards self-reliance and global competitiveness.
With targeted interventions and structured planning at the district level, the initiative is emerging as a key pillar in India’s strategy to expand its export footprint.