Exim Bank Conclave Pushes Export-Led Growth Vision

26 Jun 2025 CW Team

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Exim Bank Trade Conclave 2025 that the bank’s pioneering Trade Assistance Programme (TAP) is opening high-risk markets to Indian exporters, with partnerships in more than 100 overseas banks enabling some 1,100 export deals across 51 countries since 2022.

She listed Government measures fuelling export-led growth: record investment in transport and logistics, fresh credit channels for MSMEs via ITFS and Exim Finserve, revamped guarantees and the Ubharte Sitaare scheme. Cluster-based trade is advancing under the Districts as Export Hubs initiative, while free-trade agreements with the EU and the USA are nearing conclusion. Exports sparked by the production-linked incentive programme have already topped Rs 5.3 trillion, she added.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Financial Services Secretary M. Nagaraju underlined the stronger credit flow and robust financial system backing “Viksit Bharat”.

TAP milestones and new offices

Conclave speakers highlighted TAP’s role in plugging finance gaps for Indian firms. The Finance Minister virtually opened new Exim Bank offices in Lucknow, Indore and São Paulo, set to help exporters reach fresh markets. Sanction letters were handed to SMEs under Ubharte Sitaare, and a technical-assistance pact was signed with IIT Kanpur to bolster high-potential start-ups.

Research releases

Three Exim Bank studies were launched covering critical minerals, defence exports and textile trade under the ASEAN-India pact, offering strategies to sharpen competitiveness.

The event drew more than 200 participants from industry, finance and academia, reinforcing Exim Bank’s message that targeted trade finance and policy reform are key to making India a global export powerhouse.

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane, Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..