“Last week we achieved a feat that filled all of us with pride. You must have heard that last week, India has achieved the export target of $ 400 billion, i.e. 30 lakh crore rupees.

At first instance, it might come across as a matter related to the economy; but more than the economy, it is related to the capability of India, the potential of India,” the Prime Minister said in the 87th edition of his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast over All India Radio.

“At one time, the figure of exports from India used to be 100 billion, at times 150 billion, sometimes 200 billion…today, India has reached 400 billion dollars,” he said.

The Prime Minister said in a way, this means that the demand for items made in India is increasing all over the world and the other meaning is that the supply chain of India is getting stronger by the day.

Stating that new products from all corners of the country are reaching foreign shores, Modi said leather products from Hailakandi in Assam or handloom products from Osmanabad, fruits and vegetables from Bijapur or black rice from Chandauli, the exports of all of these are increasing.

“Now, you will also find the world famous apricot of Ladakh in Dubai too and in Saudi Arabia, you will find bananas shipped from Tamil Nadu. Most importantly, an array of new products are being sent to ever newer countries. For example, the first consignment of millets grown in Himachal and Uttarakhand was exported to Denmark,” he said.

The Prime Minister further said that Bainganapalli and Subarnarekha mangoes from Krishna and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh were exported to South Korea. Fresh jackfruits from Tripura were exported to London by air and for the first time King Chilli from Nagaland was dispatched to London, he said.

“Similarly, the first consignment of Bhalia wheat was exported from Gujarat to Kenya and Sri Lanka. This means, now if you go to other countries, Made in India products will be more visible than ever before,” Modi said.

He said it is only due to the hard work of the country’s farmers, artisans, weavers, engineers, small entrepreneurs, the MSME sector and people from many different professions, that the goal of exporting to the tune
of $ 400 billion has been achieved  and this power of the people of India is now reaching new markets in every nook and corner of the world.

“When each and every Indian is vocal for local, it does not take long for the local to become global. Let’s make the local ‘global’ and augment the prestige of our products further,” the Prime Minister said.

Talking about the small entrepreneurs of the country, the Prime Minister said, “The success of our small entrepreneurs at the domestic level also makes us proud. Today our small entrepreneurs are playing a major partnership role in government procurement through Government e-Market place i.e. GeM. A much more transparent system has been developed through technology. During the last one year through the GeM portal, the government has purchased items worth more than one lakh crore rupees.”

Modi said close to 1.25 lakh small entrepreneurs, small shopkeepers from every corner of the country have sold their goods directly to the government.

“There was a time when only big companies could sell goods to the government. However, the country is changing now; the old systems are also changing. Now even the smallest of shopkeepers can sell one’s goods to the government on the GeM Portal – this is the New India,” he said.