Reported by Roopak Goswami
Guwahati: India’s growing network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) is opening new avenues for exporters across the country, with Assam emerging as a key beneficiary due to its strong plantation, agricultural and forest-based sectors, a senior Commerce Ministry official said on Tuesday.
Speaking in Guwahati during an outreach programme commemorating 12 years of the Central government’s tenure, Kapil Chaudhary, Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce, highlighted the role of trade agreements in expanding India’s global market access and boosting export growth.
Addressing the media on the theme of FTAs and their potential impact on plantation and forest products, Chaudhary said India’s overall exports have witnessed substantial growth, rising from $468 billion in 2014-15 to $863 billion in 2025-26. She attributed the increase to policy reforms, improved trade facilitation measures and efforts to strengthen international market linkages.
According to her, recently concluded agreements such as the India-UK Free Trade Agreement and the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) are creating fresh opportunities for Indian exporters in sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles and plantation products.
Chaudhary also outlined the objectives of the newly launched Export Promotion Mission (EPM), which has been allocated Rs 25,060 crore for implementation between 2025-26 and 2030-31. The initiative aims to provide a technology-enabled and flexible framework to support export-oriented businesses and enhance India’s presence in international markets.
Highlighting Assam’s export potential, she noted that while tea continues to dominate the state’s export profile, several other industries are steadily gaining momentum. Products such as petroleum goods, coal, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries have registered increasing demand overseas, contributing to a more diversified export portfolio.
She further underscored the growing importance of Assam’s rubber industry, revealing that the state’s plantations now host the world’s first genetically modified rubber variety developed specifically for the climatic conditions of the Northeast.
During the programme, Rubber Board Executive Director M. Vasanthagesan said Assam has established itself as India’s third-largest producer of natural rubber after Kerala and Tripura. The state currently accounts for nearly 50,000 hectares of rubber cultivation, forming a significant share of the Northeast’s total plantation area.
He said the Rubber Board is focused on expanding cultivation and improving productivity to reduce the country’s dependence on imported natural rubber and strengthen domestic supply chains.
Vasanthagesan also highlighted the achievements of the INROAD Project, a collaborative initiative between the Rubber Board and the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA). The project has facilitated the development of more than 1.79 lakh hectares of rubber plantations across the Northeast and West Bengal, benefiting over 2.07 lakh growers up to the 2025 planting season.
Earlier, Chaudhary held discussions with exporters, MSMEs, tea producers, food processing units, manufacturers and startup representatives from across the Northeast. She encouraged businesses to focus on product value addition, branding, quality improvement and market diversification to enhance their global competitiveness.
The interaction forms part of the government’s broader strategy to leverage trade agreements and export promotion measures to strengthen India’s position in international trade and accelerate long-term export growth.