The Hindu Business Line : Ministry to focus on market access initiative scheme

THE Union Commerce Ministry has sought to give a push to its newly introduced Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme under the Tenth Plan programme to support exporters in tapping product-specific markets, according to a senior Ministry official.

The Ministry's existing market development assistance (MDA) may gradually get dovetailed into the MAI in order to give a focussed approach to the Government-funded market development programmes for the exporters.

The MAI programme started from this year supports specific country-product focus in export initiatives with a view to promoting higher market access for the Indian products.

An empowered committee constituted by the Ministry under the chairmanship of the Commerce Secretary has been given the task of clearing the MAI projects, Mr Mangal Singh, Under Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce looking after the MDA programmes, has said.

The official who was here to participate in the `Intec-2002' industrial trade exhibition being held here told Business Line that the committee had cleared a first batch of 7 projects under the MAI in October last which would receive financial support of about Rs 4 crore.

The product/ country related projects cleared under the scheme include IT/ software for US and Japan, establishment of India Mart in US/ Latin American countries, a marketing centre for India's cutflowers in Netherlands (through APEDA) and consumer plastic product/ rubber products for US market (with Capexil).

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