The government has nominated 29 non-official members to the Board of Trade, bringing in leaders across industries including banking, technology, automobiles and healthcare. According to reports from NDTV Profit, some of the prominent names include SBI Chairman CS Setty, Apple India Managing Director Virat Bhatia, and M&M Managing Director Anish Shah, among others. The Board of Trade, chaired by the Commerce and Industry Minister, serves as a consultative platform for discussing measures to boost manufacturing and exports.
The full list of non-official members includes Sunita Ramnathkar, President of IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Satish Goel, President of the All India Rice Exporters Association; and Vikrampati Singhania, President of the Automobile Components Manufacturers Association. As reported by NDTV Profit, other notable nominees include Shashi Kiran, Founder and Executive Chairman of Allcargo Group; Dilip Oommen, CEO of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel; and Shailesh Chandra, President of SIAM and MD & CEO of Tata Motors. The government merged the Council of Trade Development and Promotion with the Board of Trade in 2019 to bring greater coherence in stakeholder consultations on promoting exports and imports.
The newly nominated members will act as facilitators for District Export Hub events, assist state governments in developing export strategies aligned with the National Foreign Trade Policy, and advise on policy measures for both short and long-term export growth plans. According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, they will also review sectoral export performance, identify constraints, and suggest industry-specific measures to optimise export earnings. This strategic appointment aims to strengthen India's export promotion framework through industry expertise and stakeholder engagement.
