Ahmedabad, 19 June 2026 :- The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), an apex trade and investment promotion organisation supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, successfully organised the Gujarat Export Leadership Forum 2026 at Hotel Pride Plaza, Ahmedabad, under the theme “Gujarat to Global 2047 – Powering Exports through FTAs.”
The Forum brought together senior government officials, industry leaders, exporters, MSMEs, financial institutions, logistics experts, trade professionals, and policymakers to deliberate on strategies for strengthening Gujarat’s export competitiveness and accelerating its contribution towards India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The day-long Forum served as a high-impact platform for dialogue on export growth, global market access, financing, logistics, trade facilitation, innovation, and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), while highlighting Gujarat’s growing role as a global manufacturing and export hub.
Inaugural Session Sets the Vision
Welcoming the distinguished gathering, Himanshu Shaparia, Chairman, TPCI Gujarat State Committee on MSME Export Promotion & Market Access and President, Jyoti CNC Automation Ltd., highlighted Gujarat’s position as India’s leading exporting state and emphasized the importance of strengthening MSME competitiveness, leveraging Free Trade Agreements, and fostering stronger collaboration among government, industry, financial institutions, and trade bodies.
He congratulated the Government of Gujarat on the recently announced Gujarat Industrial Policy 2026 and noted that its focus on advanced manufacturing, emerging technologies, MSME development, innovation, and integration into global value chains would further strengthen Gujarat’s position as a preferred investment, manufacturing, and export destination.
“The Gujarat Export Leadership Forum provides a valuable platform to bring together key stakeholders and collectively shape a roadmap for Gujarat’s export-led growth and global leadership. Achieving the vision of Gujarat to Global 2047 will require strong collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment towards enhancing the competitiveness of our enterprises, particularly MSMEs,” he said.
“India’s journey to Viksit Bharat 2047 will be powered not only by manufacturing excellence but by seamless integration with global value chains,” emphasized Amlan Bora, Chief Representative – India & South Asia Port of Rotterdam Authority, The Netherlands.
Steve Hickling, British Deputy High Commissioner for Gujarat and Rajasthan, emphasized the growing importance of international partnerships and the opportunities arising from enhanced India-UK economic cooperation. “The India-UK economic partnership presents significant opportunities for businesses in Gujarat, particularly in advanced manufacturing, innovation, sustainability, and global trade,” he noted.
Delivering the Keynote Address, Dr. Rajender Kumar, IAS, Managing Director, GSFC, highlighted Gujarat’s potential in innovation and R&D and urged all MSMEs to become competitive by developing collaborative supply chains and become quality conscious for global markets. He also briefed about GSFC’s role in promoting exports and shared their growth story and their footprint in academics for training entrepreneurs and start-ups.
The inaugural session underscored the importance of visionary policymaking, infrastructure development, innovation, sustainability, international collaboration, and private sector participation in realizing Gujarat’s ambition of becoming a leading global manufacturing and export hub.
Panel Discussion I: Gujarat 2047 – Powering India’s Global Competitiveness and Export Leadership
Moderated by Maulik Thakker, Co-Founder, News Capital Network, the first panel discussion explored Gujarat’s long-term vision as a globally competitive manufacturing, logistics, and export powerhouse.
The discussion featured Himanshu Shaparia; Jayantibhai Patel, Chairman Emeritus, Meghmani Organics Ltd.; Sandeep Engineer, President, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI); Samir Shah, Advisor, FFFAI and Managing Director, JBS Group of Companies; and Sameer Khera, President, Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI).
Panellists deliberated on global supply chain shifts, industrial competitiveness, logistics efficiency, infrastructure development, technology adoption, MSME growth, and Gujarat’s integration into global value chains.
The discussion concluded with a consensus that Gujarat is uniquely positioned to emerge as a global leader in manufacturing, logistics, innovation, and exports over the next two decades.
Panel Discussion II: Financing Gujarat’s MSME Export Transformation
Moderated by Nayan Parikh, Managing Director, Nayan Parikh & Consultants, the second panel discussion focused on financing solutions required to support MSMEs in their export growth journey.
The panel featured Naresh Babuta, General Manager, SIDBI; Kapil Pandya, Deputy General Manager & Regional Head, EXIM Bank; Saket Kumar, AGM & Branch Head, ECGC Ltd.; Chintan Patel, Regional Head – Treasury Derivative Sales, Kotak Mahindra Bank; and Jigar Naik, Senior Manager – Primary Market Relationship (SME Listing), National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.
Discussions centered around export finance, credit accessibility, export insurance, foreign exchange risk management, capital market opportunities, SME listing, and innovative financing solutions for scaling export-oriented businesses.
Panelists emphasized the need for greater awareness, simplified access to financial products, and stronger institutional support to unlock the export potential of Gujarat’s MSMEs.
Panel Discussion III: Leveraging FTAs & Global Market Access Opportunities & Compliance
Moderated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sharma, Professor & Campus Head, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, the third panel discussion focused on opportunities arising from India’s expanding network of Free Trade Agreements and the evolving global compliance landscape.
The panel featured Amlan Bora, Chief Representative – India & South Asia, Port of Rotterdam Authority, The Netherlands; Dr. Rahul Singh, ITS, Joint DGFT, Directorate General of Foreign Trade; Sheshadri Srinivas, CEO, Canarys Automations Ltd.; Rajeev Nanda, Executive Vice President, Zydus Group; and Sara Joy, Chief Manager, EXIM Bank.
Panelists discussed emerging opportunities across Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Africa, and other high-growth markets while highlighting the importance of Rules of Origin compliance, sustainability standards, ESG requirements, supply chain resilience, digital transformation, and export readiness.
The session underscored the importance of helping Indian businesses effectively leverage FTAs while remaining globally competitive and compliant.
Key Takeaways from the Forum
- Reinforced Gujarat’s strategic role in achieving India’s long-term export ambitions.
- Highlighted the importance of strengthening MSME participation in global value chains.
- Emphasized greater utilization of FTAs for market diversification and export growth.
- Called for increased investments in logistics, technology, innovation, and export infrastructure.
- Advocated stronger collaboration among government, industry, financial institutions, academia, and trade bodies.
- Identified sustainability, digitalization, compliance readiness, and innovation as critical drivers of future export competitiveness.
Looking Ahead
The Forum concluded with a strong commitment from stakeholders to work collaboratively towards positioning Gujarat as a globally recognized manufacturing, innovation, and export powerhouse.
As India advances towards its vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047, Gujarat’s leadership in exports, industrial growth, innovation, and global market engagement will play a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s economic future.
About TPCI
The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) is an apex trade and investment promotion organisation supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. TPCI works closely with businesses, industry associations, policymakers, and international stakeholders to promote trade, exports, investments, and economic cooperation.
Through its recently established Western Regional Office in Ahmedabad, TPCI serves Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Goa, supporting enterprises through market access initiatives, trade facilitation, business networking, policy advocacy, and capacity-building programmes.
The Gujarat Export Leadership Forum 2026 was made possible through the valuable support of its sponsors and partners. TPCI expresses its sincere appreciation to GSFC for its support as Host Partner, along with Jyoti CNC Automation Ltd., EXIM Bank, Canarys Automations Ltd., SIDBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Lexicon Freight International Pvt. Ltd., and Credlix for their partnership and commitment towards strengthening Gujarat’s export ecosystem.
Their support reflects a shared vision of empowering MSMEs, enhancing global competitiveness, promoting innovation, and accelerating India’s export-led growth journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
