India's e-commerce exports can add $10 billion in just a few years. Here's how.

India's e-commerce exports could surge by at least USD 10 billion over the next two to three years, a senior trade official said on Monday, pointing to the country's vast MSME ecosystem and untapped global consumer reach as the key drivers of that growth.

Rajesh Kumar Mishra, additional director at the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, said the opportunity was hiding in plain sight. China already clocks USD 300 billion a year in e-commerce exports — and India, he argued, could close some of that gap with its existing strengths and a sharper approach.

Also Read: $250 bn e-commerce boom redraws India's retail buying & triggers a safeguard demand


"We should add to USD 10 billion dollars or more exports by e-commerce, so the potential is very huge because we are a large country with large number of MSMEs having capacity to manufacture quality products," Mishra told PTI.

A big part of the pitch rests on logistics. Mishra highlighted India Post as an underutilised asset — a government-backed network offering competitive rates that could allow small exporters to ship consignments abroad without being undercut by freight costs.

Also Read: A new-age thirst for beverages is emerging as a key force in India's consumer goods market

On free trade agreements, Mishra was candid: the deals alone won't do the heavy lifting. MSMEs need to actively prepare to make use of the windows that FTAs open. "Any free trade agreement requires lot of preparation for the manufacturers and exporters to take benefit, so that is a very, very important area of preparation by all the stakeholders," he said.

The broader ambition is to raise manufacturing's share of GDP to 25% over the long term — a target that Mishra said the MSME sector was central to achieving. On India's USD 1 trillion merchandise export goal, he was equally measured. "It is a bouquet of everything," he said — e-commerce, quality improvements, export credit, and more, all working in tandem.