India to train 1,000 export facilitators across districts and states

The Indian government will establish a network of approximately 1,000 trained personnel across districts and states to provide direct support to exporters and businesses seeking to expand internationally, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.

Addressing an industry stakeholders meeting focused on ease of doing business and free trade agreement opportunities, Goyal outlined the government's plan to deploy these facilitators with proficiency in regional languages. The trained personnel would offer hands-on support to businesses, working in coordination with industry chambers and existing trade networks to guide companies through export procedures and regulatory requirements.

The initiative forms part of a broader push to decentralize trade support infrastructure. Rather than establishing separate departmental offices in multiple locations, the government envisions integrated commerce and industry offices in major cities. These consolidated centres would serve as single-window access points where businesses can connect with multiple government departments and agencies simultaneously, reducing bureaucratic friction.

The move reflects the government's commitment to democratizing export opportunities beyond metropolitan hubs, recognising that small and medium enterprises in tier-two and tier-three cities require localised assistance to navigate international trade. By deploying multilingual, regionally-embedded facilitators, New Delhi aims to bridge the information and support gap that has historically disadvantaged exporters outside major commercial centres.