E-commerce export framework by Sept: Commerce Secretary

According to the think tank GTRI, India’s e-commerce exports have the potential to reach $350 billion by 2030.

Stressing the need to tap into new emerging export opportunities, Barthwal noted that Indian exports through this medium amount to only $5 billion, whereas China’s exports have reached $300 billion. He added that the ministry has held consultations with officials from revenue and industry representatives from logistics and marketplace platforms regarding the framework.

“We are working on setting up e-commerce export hubs in the country. We have discussed the framework. It is on our 100-day agenda. It will establish a framework for e-commerce export hubs and the regulatory ecosystem. These hubs will be located near airports and ports,” Barthwal told reporters.

According to a GTRI report, India’s e-commerce exports have the potential to grow at a faster pace than its IT exports did in the early 2000s. However, despite this potential, India’s current e-commerce export numbers remain far below what they could be.

“India’s current e-commerce export provisions are a patchwork of rules framed for regular B2B exporters. This creates an enormous compliance burden on small firms, and India needs to address these issues in one place.

“To meet such needs, the report recommends that the Indian government issue a separate e-commerce export policy. E-commerce policies in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam have helped many firms sell globally,” the report stated.