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India's March Exports Face Headwinds, But Growth Trajectory Intact: Commerce Secy

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal acknowledged that India's exports faced difficulties in March due to external global factors, urging stakeholders to wait for official data by mid-April for a clear assessment. Despite short-term uncertainties, he expressed confidence that India's positive export growth trajectory will continue. The government has launched the RELIEF scheme with a Rs 497 crore outlay to support exporters impacted by the West Asia conflict, specifically to mitigate rising logistics and insurance costs. The scheme is part of a coordinated daily effort by inter-ministerial groups to assess challenges and stabilize export flows.

Key Points: India's March Exports Challenged, Relief Scheme Announced

  • March exports faced external challenges
  • Government awaiting official data by April 15
  • RELIEF scheme launched to support exporters
  • Scheme has Rs 497 crore outlay to offset logistics costs
2 min read

External factors posed challenges to exports in March, yet optimistic of India's exports, says Commerce Secy

Commerce Secretary cites external factors for March export challenges but remains optimistic. Details on the new RELIEF support scheme for exporters revealed.

"Wait for 15th April when we'll have clear data on exports. - Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal"

New Delhi, April 4

India's exports may have faced challenges in March due to external factors, but the government will have clearer data on the overall impact once official numbers are released later this month, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said.

Speaking about the country's export performance, Agrawal said that March saw certain difficulties due to global developments.

"In March, there have been challenges because of different externalities, all of which you are aware of," he said.

The Commerce Secretary added that the government is waiting for complete data before drawing any conclusions about the extent of the impact.

"Wait for 15th April when we'll have clear data on exports. We'll be having clear numbers and instead of estimating we'll have real numbers to talk about. I'll request each one of you to wait for another 10 days to have the real numbers," Agrawal said.

Despite the short-term uncertainties, he expressed confidence that India's export growth trajectory remains positive.

"As I told, we have been doing well in terms of exports and I think that export trajectory will carry on," he added.

However, earlier this month, the Centre announced 'Resilience & Logistic Intervention for Export promotion' (RELIEF) scheme to support Indian exporters impacted by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The initiative aims to provide a calibrated support package to stabilise export flows and protect India's market share during the crisis period.

The scheme focuses on mitigating the sharp rise in logistics costs and insurance premiums for shipments heading to the Gulf and West Asia.

The details of the intervention were shared during a press briefing by the Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on March 19, 2026, who stated that the "Middle East conflict has an impact" and noted there are significant "challenges due to this conflict.

"The Commerce Secretary also informed that 'the government has come together to set up two inter-ministerial groups in the Department of Commerce. We are meeting daily to assess the challenges. We are trying to listen to them and respond to them.

"The RELIEF scheme is structured under the Export Promotion Mission (EPM) with a total financial outlay of Rs 497 crore. The Secretary explained that the government is "trying to build an export package" and that "in this conflict we are trying to help export keep going."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Waiting for the real numbers makes sense. Too much speculation in the media these days. The daily inter-ministerial meetings show the government is serious about tackling this issue head-on.
A
Aman W
While the confidence is appreciated, I hope the ~500 crore RELIEF package is sufficient. The West Asia conflict is a major disruption. We need to diversify our export routes and partners to reduce dependency on volatile regions.
S
Sarah B
The proactive approach with daily assessment groups is commendable. In global trade, agility is key. Hoping the positive trajectory continues despite the headwinds.
V
Vikram M
External factors will always be there. What matters is how we adapt. Focusing on logistics and insurance costs is the right move. Our MSME exporters need this support the most. Jai Hind!
K
Karthik V
A respectful criticism: Announcing a scheme is one thing, ensuring the benefits reach the actual small exporters on the ground without red tape is another. The proof will be in the implementation. Let's see.

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