By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, July 20, 2017: Odisha has set an ambitious target of clocking an export turnover of Rs one lakh crore by 2025, according to micro, small and medium enterprises secretary L.N. Gupta.

The state’s export turnover was Rs 40,872 crore in 2016-17.

Addressing a seminar on export finance here on Thursday, Gupta said a draft Odisha Export Policy, 2017 has been prepared laying emphasis on promotion of exports both from the traditional and non-traditional sectors.

The Export Policy will be in alignment with the Foreign Trade Policy of India (2015-2020), he added.

Gupta said, the export turnover is going up substantially in recent years. The export turnover of the state, which was merely Rs 563 crore in 2001-02, went up to Rs 19,082 crore in 2015-16. It further went up to Rs 40,872 crore during 2016-17 registering an increase of 114 per cent over the turnover of 2015-16, Gupta said.

With the operationalisation of Inland Container Depots (ICD) at Jharsuguda and Balasore and testing laboratories and export inspection agency of Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA), which is nearing completion, the export turnover from the state will get a further boost.