'Should not be concerned much about imports as long as exports' grow'

India should not be overly concerned about imports as long as exports' share continues to grow, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said on Thursday.

He also said the world needs to avoid protectionism which creates more trade barriers and hinders movement of goods.

The secretary said that one needs to avoid the mercantilist approach and should not bother too much about trade balance and imports.

"Because if the Indian economy is growing at 7 per cent and if the world is growing at 3-3.5 per cent rate of growth then obviously India will be requiring more of consumption, more of imports and let me tell you that the role of imports in exports is also very very important," he said at a CII event.

Imports of raw materials and intermediate products are essential, he said.

"As long as we are able to improve our exports share, we should not be too much concerned about imports and that is what I feel that we need to avoid," he added.

Further, Barthwal said developed countries are confused about the concept of migration and mobility.

If Indians or Indian companies are setting up bases in other countries, then mobility of professionals needs to be ensured, he said.

"And that is our argument that we are not asking for migration, we are asking for mobility," he added.

In FTAs (free trade agreements), this is the point of negotiations with most of the developed world.

He emphasised on the need to build a narrative that mobility is essential for growth of the services sector as a whole including professional services.

"In fact it is also good for the developed world that they understand this concept of mobility and do not confuse it with the concept of migration."  He added that the globe should avoid taking protectionist measures and raising trade barriers.

The secretary called for more and more MRAs (mutual recognition agreements) to enhance services trade.

Under these agreements, two or more trading partners recognise each other's services, and qualifications for smooth movement of professionals like nurses.

"There is a huge possibility of providing professional services and therefore MRAs are very important ," he said adding there is a need to encourage services exports.