Gujarat sets up export promotion council to help MSMEs go global

Gujarat has approved a dedicated Gujarat Export Promotion Council (GEPC), a state-run body meant to help small and medium businesses, startups and first-time entrepreneurs sell into overseas markets. The government announced the move in a statement on Thursday, following a notification from the industries and mines department dated Nov 3.

The council will be set up as a special purpose vehicle, incorporated as a wholly state-owned, non-profit private limited company. The idea is to give exporters a single institutional platform instead of sending them to separate agencies for market intelligence, business consultancy, technical help, marketing, certification and trade finance.

The target is the practical friction that keeps many small firms from exporting at all: limited knowledge of what foreign buyers require, unfamiliar export procedures, international regulations and mandatory certifications. GEPC is expected to offer market-entry strategies, mentoring and hands-on guidance, and to help firms take part in domestic and international trade fairs.

There is a local layer too. The council will draw up a district export promotion plan for every district, based on each area's manufacturing strengths, industrial specialisations, market demand and export potential. District export promotion councils will coordinate and monitor activity, linking locally made products with global buyers.

Further out, the government says GEPC will build digital trade platforms and an exporter portal, along with common facility centres, incubation centres, testing and certification facilities and logistics support. It is also expected to ease access to trade finance, insurance and pre- and post-shipment financial assistance. The council will encourage exporters to adopt AI, blockchain, digitisation and Industry 4.0 practices, and to lean into green technologies and sustainable products as international standards evolve.

The governance structure puts the state's top bureaucracy in charge. The board will have three to 15 members, with the chief secretary as chairperson, the industries department's additional chief secretary or principal secretary as vice-chairperson, and the industries commissioner as managing director.

For markets watchers, the context matters: the decision flows from a task force on improving the competitiveness of Gujarat's manufacturing sector, which named export development as one of three pillars of industrial growth. The Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) then recommended a dedicated export promotion institution in its May 2025 report. Whether GEPC delivers will depend on execution, but the design signals a push to widen the base of exporters beyond large players.

Source: Times of India

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