Commerce secretary pitches for more non IT services export

Indian exporters should explore and identify more into services exportbaskets other than IT services in sectors such as healthcare, tourismetc, Rajeev Kher, commerce secretary of India said here today.

“Currentlyout of India's total services exports, most of it is in IT servicesand other sector should also be explored to add to the service exportbasket. Sectors such as tourism and health are of great potential,”he said during an interaction with industry members.

Recently, RBIin a report had said that software services and IT-enabled servicesexports are estimated to have increased by 37 per cent to around Rs3.41 lakh crore in 2012-13.

On the newforeign trade policy, Kher said that the policy will be put in placewhenever the new government is in place.

“We at ourlevel are doing the necessary preparatory work. My impression of themanner in which FTP is being prepared is essentially an agglomerationof some incentive instruments. Not to undermine its importance, itreally is not what Foreign trade policy should be. ,” he said.Indian exporters are keenly looking forward sops to help them retaintheir competitiveness in the global market which is still reelingunder slowdown..“Incentivisationprocess has become secular. An economy which is short on resources,there must be a policy framework where there is difference betweenpotential winners and not winners,” he added.

According tothe commerce secretary the new FTP is also looking into developingIndia as a brand for high quality and high value exports.