Gujarat has clocked an impressive 22 per cent growth in exports in 2017-18, government officials said on Wednesday. The growth has also increased the state’s overall share in India’s export pie.
“Gujarat’s exports have increased to $66 billion in 2017-18 from $54 billion in 2016-17,” said MK Das, Principal Secretary to the chief minister while sharing the data from Niti Aayog. These numbers are in line with the forecast of the socio-economic review for Gujarat tabled in the state legislative assembly in February 2018 which stated that Gujarat would clock a “double-digit growth” for the year 2017-18.
“Not only have we grown in terms of volume, our share in national exports have gone up. Gujarat’s share in Indian exports also increased to 22 per cent in 2017-18 from the earlier 19 per cent. The figures were revealed by Niti Ayog today (Wednesday),” Das added while speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of an event held at GMDC auditorium. He said the state largely exports to eastern European countries, Africa and middle-east nations.
“Overall our imports have been going up and exports have not been able to keep pace. But this is a good growth for the state,” he added.
Gujarat exports a wide variety of items ranging from gems and jewellery, agriculture, automobiles, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, among others. If exports from SEZs are taken in to account, then Gujarat accounts for nearly 30 per cent of national
SEZ exports. This increased by four per cent in 2016-17, after falling to 20 per cent in 2015-16 and 2014-15.
Source: indianexpress.com