The Office of the Additional Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Bengaluru, in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Visvesvaraya Trade Promotion Centre (VTPC), Karnataka, and the Department of Industries and Commerce, Karnataka, organised a state-level workshop on Leveraging Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in Bengaluru on October 30, 2026.
The workshop aimed to sensitise Karnataka’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and industrial stakeholders to the opportunities available under India’s Free Trade Agreements to enhance export competitiveness, access new international markets and strengthen the state’s integration into global value chains.
The programme highlighted the potential of FTAs in expanding market access, improving the competitiveness of Indian products and enabling businesses, particularly MSMEs, to explore emerging opportunities in international trade.
M B Patil, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Government of Karnataka, delivered the inaugural address, while Dr S Selvakumar, Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Karnataka, also addressed the participants.
The workshop was attended by Khushboo Goel Chowdhary, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director of Industries and Commerce, Government of Karnataka; Dona Ghosh, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade, Bengaluru; and Arjun Upadhya, Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade, Bengaluru.
The initiative underscored the importance of greater awareness and effective utilisation of India’s FTAs in helping Karnataka’s industries and MSMEs strengthen their global presence, diversify export destinations and tap into the growing opportunities offered by international trade agreements.