Export promotion offices to open in 10 missions abroad: Prabhu
New Delhi, June 15: The Department of Commerce will soon open 10 offices in Indian missions abroad to boost export promotion activities, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.
Making this announcement at a review here of the sectoral export promotion plans prepared by various ministries, he said a conference of heads of Indian missions abroad has been scheduled in end-June to discuss trade promotion measures, according to a Commerce Ministry release.
The Minister stressed on branding of Indian products and export credit as important focus areas for export promotion, it said.
He also emphasised that efforts should be made for getting priority sector lending status for export credit and directed the ministry's Logistics Division to work upon measures like bulk cargo transportation to reduce freight costs.
Prabhu suggested each ministry and department should set targets for increasing exports in 2018-2019 and directed that inter-ministerial meetings be held quarterly to resolve difficulties and assess the progress across sectors.
Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia noted that although exports have grown in the past year, a quantum jump is required in this direction.
She stressed that branding is a major issue cutting across all sectors and Brand Equity Foundation is formulating a proposal to support line ministries for branding export products.
Director General Foreign Trade Alok Chaturvedi said that the Department of Commerce is preparing a "100 Billion Additional Exports Strategy" which will be released shortly.
Indian merchandise exports in 2017-18 grew by 9.8 per cent over the previous year, while services exports were up by 17.8 per cent.
As per Commerce Ministry data on Friday, the country's trade deficit in May at $14.62 billion, widened marginally over the excess of imports over exports at $13.84 billion recorded in the same month last year, on account of a higher import bill due to oil prices.
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Police ignored crucial footage in deadly Gurugram road accident case, claims victim’s friend: Report
New Delhi: A tragic road accident in Gurugram earlier this week claimed the life of young biker Akshat Garg after his motorcycle was struck by an SUV travelling on the wrong side of the road. Pradyuman Kumar, the victim’s friend, claimed that the police allegedly overlooked the critical evidence recorded on Pradyuman’s GoPro camera.
The incident occurred on September 15, 2024, on Golf Course Road, where Akshat was hit by Kuldeep Thakur, who was reportedly driving recklessly. Despite emergency services arriving soon, Akshat succumbed to his injuries.
"The police saw the recording, but they didn’t take it as evidence that day," Pradyuman told India Today. It wasn’t until three days later, after the accused Kuldeep Thakur had already been released on bail, that the police reached out to Pradyuman for the footage. He expressed deep frustration over what he perceives as negligence on the part of law enforcement in collecting vital evidence promptly.
Additionally, the publication reported that the accused has a history of traffic violations and that Thakur’s vehicle displayed a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sticker. The quick release of Thakur on bail has drawn criticism, particularly since the incident fell on a Sunday and Monday was a public holiday. Thakur is reportedly a co-owner of a company running social media campaigns for politicians.
Further investigation into the incident is underway.
