Export Policy and Management in India

For about 40 years, foreign trade of India suffered from strict bureaucratic and discretionary controls. Beginning in 1991, the government introduced a series of reforms to liberalize and globalize the Indian economy. Reforms in the external sector were intended to integrate the country's economy with the world economy. The major trade policy changes in the post-1991 period have included simplification of procedures, removal of quantitative restrictions, and substantial reduction in the tariff rates. The products wherein India has the maximum presence in the international market in terms of export share are spices, marine products, precious/semi-precious stones, and textiles. Recent trends, however, indicate that the commodity structure of India's exports has slowly begun to shift towards higher technology intensive manufacturing. This book focuses on the country's export policy, since the greatest challenge facing its economy is to enhance its productivity and competitiveness, so as to achieve a sustained growth in the exports of goods and services. [Subject: India Studies, Economics, Trade]