Any improvement in relationship with Pakistan will help boost Indian exports, according to Walter D’Souza, Chairman of Federation of Indian Export Organisation (Southern Region).
Inaugurating an awareness programme on exports at the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here on Thursday, he said that India’s export growth can come from the neighbouring countries. The relationship with Pakistan, if it improves, will increase India’s share in bilateral trade by 100 per cent. It will be a quantum jump, he said.
Stating that over-dependence on the western world has to change, he said that India also has to look at other growing areas like GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. Though India registered an overall export growth of 3.98 per cent in 2013-14, export to GCC countries went up by 16 per cent during that period, he said.
India's exports during 2013-14 stood at $312.25 billion, which was a growth of 3.98 per cent over 2012-13. Though the original target for 2013-14 was $360 billion, it was scaled down to $325 billion later.