Madhya Pradesh on Thursday held the Madhya Pradesh Export and FTA Conclave 2026 with the Department of Commerce, Government of India, at the Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre in Bhopal, where MSME Minister Chaitanya Kumar Kashyap and Chief Secretary Ashok Barnwal launched five measures aimed at helping the state's exporters use India's free trade agreements.

Source: India Shipping News

The conclave was organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the MP Industrial Development Corporation, along with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and the India Trade Promotion Organisation, according to the organisers.

Rs 68,837 croreMadhya Pradesh goods exports in 2025-26
Rs 1 lakh croreExport target set for December 2028
31 actionsIn the FTA Action Plan 2026-27, under seven objectives
80 unitsTo be supported by the new FTA Accelerator in four sectors

What the five measures are

The Madhya Pradesh FTA Action Plan 2026-27 sets out 31 actions under seven objectives. The FTA Handbook for Exporters gives, product by product, the benefit available under each agreement, the rule of origin and whom to contact. Exporters can take questions to the FTA Helpdesk, the FTA module of the MP Trade Portal shows the duty a product attracts under each agreement, and the FTA Accelerator will work with 80 export units in four sectors — from choosing the right agreement, certification and pricing through to meetings with overseas buyers.

Kashyap said MSMEs account for about half of India's exports. Barnwal asked industry associations to take three steps towards the Rs 1 lakh crore target: pick at least five products in their sector with the highest export potential, find the most promising FTA partner markets for them, and identify the units that can export at that level. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has set the target of Rs 1 lakh crore in exports by December 2028, with new capacity coming through locations such as the PM MITRA Park and the Indore SEZ, officials said.

The helpdesk, portal and accelerator launched at the conclave are meant to close the gap between the agreements India has signed and the state's smaller exporters, and the department will work to meet the Chief Secretary's one-year timeline, according to the report of the conclave.