Export increased even during Covid pandemic, says Anupriya
LUCKNOW: Union minister of state for commerce and industry Anupriya Patel said on Tuesday that it was due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts for a self-reliant India, Local for Vocal and Make in India programmes that the country’s export had increased even during the pandemic.
The minister was addressing the gathering at the inaugural session of the two- day Vanijya Utsav being organised by the state government at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. The Vanijya Utsav is part of the union government’s ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ plan to mark the 75th year of Independence.
As part of this celebration, the union ministry of commerce and industry is organising ‘Vanijya Saptah’ from September 20 to 26. “India’s economy will grow at the rate of six per cent in the coming financial year and global merchandising will increase to eight percent in 2021. In this financial year (2020-21) the Centre’s target for merchandise export is 400 billion dollars,” said Patel.
The minister added that despite the pandemic, India’s export had increased by 67 per cent in the last five months.
“Even in Uttar Pradesh, despite the pandemic, there was no slump in exports. Before 2017, export from Uttar Pradesh was Rs 84,000 crore. It increased to 1.21 lakh crore under chief minister Yogi Adityanath,” asserted the union minister.
Also present on the occasion, Chaudhary Udaybhan Singh, UP minister of state, department of MSME and export promotion, said: “Today every skill of Uttar Pradesh is being given a separate identity through government support.”
Navneet Sehgal, addition chief secretary, state government, said: “Uttar Pradesh has also started taking a step towards service export. A target of Rs three lakh crore has been set for export for the next three years.”
“Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the country which has prepared its own agriculture export policy,” Sehgal added.
As part of the event, 48 stalls have also been set up, displaying products selected by the state government under its One District One Product scheme.