India Board of Trade nominates 29 industry leaders to support manufacturing and exports

The government said on Tuesday it nominated 29 non-official members to the Board of Trade. The panel is chaired by the Commerce and Industry Minister. The nominees include SBI Chairman CS Setty, Apple India MD Virat Bhatia, and Mahindra & Mahindra MD Anish Shah. The Board of Trade serves as a forum to discuss steps to raise manufacturing and exports.

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The Board of Trade brings together representatives from states and Union territories. It also includes senior officials from the public and private sectors. The body is meant to support policy discussions on trade and industry. It aims to help the government and stakeholders align actions that can improve export outcomes and widen manufacturing activity.

Board of Trade members and exporters list

The new non-official members include Sunita Ramnathkar, President, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The list also has Satish Goel, President, All India Rice Exporters Association. Others named were Vikrampati Singhania, President, Automobile Components Manufacturers Association, and Sanjay Nayyar, Founder, Sorin Investments. Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel, was also included in the notification.

The notification further listed Puran Dawar, Chairman and Founder, Dawar Group, and Shashi Kiran, Founder & Executive Chairman, Allcargo Group. It also included Vaibhav Vohra, Group MD, Continental Carriers, and Dilip Oommen, CEO, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel. Sandeep Somany, Chairman and MD, Somany Impressa Group, was also among those nominated.

Other members include Shailesh Chandra, President SIAM and MD & CEO, Tata Motors. Haigreve Khaitan, Managing Partner, Khaitan & Co, was also named. The list also has Satish Reddy, Chairperson, Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd, and Parth Jindal, MD, JSW Cements. Shridhar Vembu, Co-founder, Zoho Corporation, was also included.

Board of Trade role in District Export Hub events

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade DGFT said the group also included Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe. It named Rajiv Memani, Chairman and CEO, EY India, and Upasana Arora, MD, Yashoda Group of Hospitals. These leaders are expected to act as facilitators for District Export Hub events and related activity in states.

The DGFT said the members would support sensitisation workshops and help identify and promote selected products. They are also expected to assist state governments in preparing export strategies. These strategies are to align with the National Foreign Trade Policy. The work also includes helping states pursue those plans through coordinated follow-up.

Board of Trade and National Foreign Trade Policy advice

The members will advise the government on policy measures for both short and long-term export plans. They will also review export performance across sectors. The role includes spotting constraints that affect shipments and earnings. They are expected to suggest sector-specific steps to optimise export earnings, based on issues raised by industry.

Separately, a commerce ministry notification recalled an earlier structural change to consultations. In 2019, the government had merged the Council of Trade Development and Promotion with the Board of Trade. The stated aim was to improve coherence in consultation with stakeholders. The same framework continues to guide discussions on exports and imports.

With the new nominations, the government has expanded industry representation on the Board of Trade. Officials expect the members to support state-led export planning and District Export Hub work. The panel is also set to provide feedback on sector performance and policy needs. The 2019 merger remains the base for a unified consultation process.

With inputs from PTI