Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Wednesday launched the Trade Connect e-Platform. It is a single window initiative that is fast, accessible and transformational as it will enable exporters to add newer markets, he said.

Minister Goyal said that our focus should be to identify the opportunities in the world market. With the launch of this platform India will be able to increase its market share in the world, adding that international opportunities will be showcased on the platform.

Small FPOs, businesses and entrepreneurs will also be able to access this platform, learn of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) benefits that are available to expand their trade, the Union Minister noted.

Minister expressed confidence that before the next trade board meeting, e-Platform 2.0 will be ready with enhanced features and stressed the need for working on the feedbacks received for the platform from all the users and stakeholders.

Minister said that the newer version will be launched in Hindi and several other official languages to take its benefit to every region. He added that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has consistently worked towards promoting regional languages.

Praising DGFT for enabling the launch of the platform, he said that the portal is futuristic in its thinking and adds to the accessibility of various information and data related to trade.

He added that the platform is a better and smarter way for supporting exporters.

The Union Minister during his address reiterated his $1 trillion merchandise and $1 trillion services export target for 2030 and hoped that with the help of this platform this target would be achieved.

He added that the platform will help in creating partnerships and synergies as it can be connected with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for the suppliers to get access to wider markets and be more competitive.

The Trade Connect e-Platform serves as a one-stop solution, providing exporters with near real-time access to critical trade-related information, while seamlessly connecting them to key government entities such as the Indian Missions abroad, Department of Commerce, Export Promotion Councils, and other trade experts.

It is developed in collaboration with key partners including the Ministry of MSME, EXIM Bank, Department of Financial Services (DFS), and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and is set to address information asymmetry by offering exporters comprehensive support and resources.