FTA-driven World calls for a trade promotion reset, says ITPO Chairman Jawed Ashraf

As global trade fragments and countries pivot towards bilateral and regional pacts, India’s export strategy must evolve beyond traditional promotion models, says Amb. Jawed Ashraf, Chairman of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). In a world increasingly shaped by FTAs and shifting supply chains, Ashraf, who has also served as former Ambassador to France and Monaco and former High Commissioner of India to Singapore, argues that trade promotion must combine market intelligence, institutional presence abroad, and stronger MSME integration to help India capture a larger share of global commerce. Edited excerpts from his interaction at the Black Swan event in Bhuneshwar:

ET: As Chairman of ITPO, what is the single biggest change you want to drive in how India promotes trade globally?

Jawed Ashraf (JA): I believe Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have outlined a broad and ambitious vision for ITPO and for the promotion and development of India’s exports.


The starting point is clear: we are in a world of significant trade turbulence and disruptions. The multilateral, rules-based trading order has, in many ways, weakened. Countries are increasingly moving towards FTAs, regional arrangements, plurilateral and bilateral frameworks.

In this FTA-driven world, India must both create opportunities and actively promote its exports. Since 2021, we have concluded eight trade agreements, and if the proposed agreement with the United States is formalised, it will be the ninth. These agreements are enablers as they open doors. But we must work hard to fully utilise them. This means moving beyond participation in trade fairs, whether in India or abroad, and offering a complete range of services. From market intelligence and buyer identification to branding, hand-holding and export facilitation, ITPO must become a comprehensive support system.

We also need to educate exporters about FTA opportunities—rules of origin, documentation requirements, regulatory frameworks and the specific benefits available. These facilitative measures are critical. At the same time, we must support exporters overseas.

ITPO is therefore envisaging a wide range of activities: stronger trade development and promotion efforts, greater participation in international trade fairs, and hosting more high-quality exhibitions in India. We are also looking at organisational transformation—opening more offices across India, professionally managed offices abroad, and possibly creating permanent exhibition centres in key markets.

Another important dimension is attracting export-oriented investments from abroad. A large share of global trade today is driven by global value chains. Companies set up production facilities across countries to serve multiple markets. Bringing such investment to India must be seen as an integral part of export promotion.

If India is to expand its share of global trade, ITPO itself must develop a global footprint and evolve into a truly global organisation. We must also widen our sectoral focus. While legacy merchandise exports remain important, we need to prioritise the drivers of future trade—electronics, clean energy products, AI-related technologies and advanced manufacturing. Equally important are services exports. Services are growing faster than merchandise exports and are approaching parity in value. However, they remain concentrated in a few sectors. We must ensure deeper diversification and expansion.

ET: With the evolving global order and India focusing on FTAs with the EU, US and GCC, will ITPO organise more trade fairs in these markets?

JA: Yes, we are becoming very active in these newer frontiers. In some of these markets, we will look at opening professionally managed offices and potentially establishing permanent exhibition centres.But equally important is preparing our exporters. We need to educate them about the opportunities, regulatory frameworks, documentation requirements and processes associated with each FTA. Only then can they fully leverage the intended benefits.

Trade promotion is not just about showcasing products, but about ensuring preparedness and sustained market engagement.

ET: Drawing from your tenure in Singapore, what is one best practice India should adopt immediately to improve trade efficiency?

JA: Singapore spans just 718 square kilometres and has a population of around 5.5 million. Despite its size, it positioned itself as a major global trading nation by treating the world as its market. It built a regulatory and institutional framework that positioned Singapore as a global hub, not just for moving goods, but for financing, logistics, shipping, aviation and trade facilitation systems. This way, end-to-end efficiency was embedded across the ecosystem.

One key lesson is institutional strength. Organisations like Enterprise Singapore and the Economic Development Board act as force multipliers, supporting domestic companies going abroad while attracting foreign companies to operate from Singapore. To enhance trade efficiency and global competitiveness, India can adapt some of these practices—streamlined systems, a forward-looking industry focus and strong institutional support.

ET: MSMEs account for nearly 45% of India’s total exports. How is ITPO helping this sector expand its global market outreach?

JA: MSMEs must be at the centre of our effort. They are particularly concentrated in labour-intensive and high-value sectors such as leather and leather goods, textiles and garments, gems and jewellery, handicrafts and engineering products. These sectors generate livelihoods at scale while contributing significantly to export earnings.

By their very nature, MSMEs often lack the financial and institutional capacity to independently explore overseas markets, identify buyers or navigate complex regulatory requirements. This is where ITPO’s role becomes central.

We support MSMEs through structured participation in domestic and international trade fairs, curated buyer–seller meets, market intelligence and branding initiatives. Increasingly, we are also looking at facilitating their integration into e-commerce platforms and global value chains.

Beyond showcasing products, the focus is on sustained market access: educating MSMEs about FTA benefits, compliance norms, documentation requirements and evolving regulatory standards in key markets. Even as we expand into emerging sectors such as electronics, clean energy and AI-linked products, MSMEs will remain at the heart of our strategy. Strengthening their global competitiveness is not just about boosting exports, but about broad-based economic development and employment generation.