Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet exporters from select labour-intensive sectors on Monday to discuss strategies for enhancing India’s competitiveness in global trade, according to industry representatives.
The meeting will see participation from key sectors including apparel, leather, gems and jewellery, handicrafts, engineering, and seafood. Heads of the respective export promotion councils are expected to attend the interaction.
The dialogue comes at a critical time for Indian exporters, as several labour-intensive industries have been hit hard by steep US import tariffs — reportedly as high as 50 per cent on Indian goods, with only a few sectors exempted. Exporters have expressed concern that such duties are eroding India’s cost advantage and weakening its position in the global market.
Officials said discussions are likely to focus on ways to mitigate the impact of these tariffs, boost productivity, and strengthen India’s trade infrastructure. The talks also assume importance as India and the US are currently negotiating a bilateral trade agreement.
India’s share in global trade remains modest at around 2 per cent — comprising 1.6 per cent of global merchandise exports and 3.3 per cent of services exports.
Despite global headwinds, India’s exports grew 6.74 per cent in September 2025 to $36.38 billion, while imports surged 16.6 per cent, widening the trade deficit to $31.15 billion. During April–September, exports rose 3.02 per cent year-on-year to $220.12 billion, while imports climbed 4.53 per cent to $375.11 billion, resulting in a cumulative trade deficit of $154.99 billion.
The upcoming meeting is expected to chart actionable measures to support exporters and sustain growth momentum in India’s external trade.