Despite COVID-19 pandemic, exports of agriculture, pharma grows: Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan

Speaking at an event organised by industry body PHDCCI, Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan said, “As far as exports are concerned, some sectors have done wonderfully well. Even during the slowdown, exports of agriculture and pharmaceuticals went up.”

But certain other sectors have not done so well in the recovery phase and we need to sustain the sectors which have done well in this period,” he lamented.

He further added that there is a need to focus on those sectors which have not done well so that they recover at least initially to the pre-COVID levels.

On this he said that there was a need to immediately exploit the short-term opportunities. “There is a medium to long-term opportunities, where we need to enhance our capacities, create new capacities,” he added.

India’s exports dipped 8.74 per cent on a yearly basis in November to $23.52 billion on account of contraction in shipments of key sectors like petroleum, engineering, chemicals and gems and jewellery.