Exports No Longer Confined To SEZs, Says Finance Minister Sitharaman; Districts To Be Developed As New Trade Hubs

In a major shift in India’s export policy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted that exporters no longer need to operate from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to access global markets, Hindu reported.

“You don’t have to be in an SEZ to export, but you can do it from the districts,” Sitharaman was quoted as saying by the Hindu, at the India Exim Bank Trade Conclave 2025 in New Delhi on Tuesday (24 June).

Highlighting the government’s “clustered” approach to building export infrastructure, Sitharaman pointed to flagship schemes such as Make in India, Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, One District One Product (ODOP), and Districts as Export Hubs (DEH) as enablers of this transformation.

“So, the decades-old system of SEZs alone promote export, SEZs will have to be specified, specialised export promotion zones... but over the last one decade this government has brought in this dimension,” she noted.

India’s export performance reflects the impact of this decentralised model. While global exports grew by 4 per cent, India’s exports surged 6.3 per cent, hitting an all-time high of $825 billion, up from $466 billion in 2013 to 14.

Finance Minister Sitharaman noted that India’s exports have evolved beyond their earlier patterns. She said exports are no longer limited to traditional goods; they now include high-end, technology-infused products.

According to her, areas driven by innovation and intellectual property are playing an increasingly important role. India, she emphasised, is moving beyond bulk exports of raw foods and commodities to supplying well-engineered products that meet high standards.

She added that PLI-supported sectors alone have contributed over Rs 5.31 lakh crore ($62 billion) in goods exports, particularly in electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, and telecom products.

The new policy underscores India’s bid to decentralise trade, making export opportunities more inclusive and accessible from across the country.

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