The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), through Notification No. 18/2026-2027 dated 2 June 2026, has reconstituted the non-official membership of the Board of Trade (BOT) by superseding the earlier notification of 8 July 2022. The Board of Trade, which was formed through the merger of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion with the BOT in 2019, will now include 40 non-official members drawn from diverse sectors such as manufacturing, exports, logistics, banking, technology, pharmaceuticals, professional services, agriculture, healthcare, and industry associations. The Presidents of ICAI, ICSI, and ICMAI have also been included as members. The notification outlines the terms of reference for these members, including advising the Government on trade policy measures, supporting export promotion, facilitating District Export Hub initiatives, reviewing export performance, identifying infrastructure gaps, streamlining import-export procedures, strengthening trade competitiveness, and helping State Governments align export strategies with the Foreign Trade Policy. The notification took immediate effect upon issuance.
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Department of Commerce
Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
Notification No. 18/2026-2027-DGFT | Dated: 02 June, 2026
S.O. (E)– The Board of Trade (BOT) has been constituted by merging the Council for Trade Development and Promotion with the Board of Trade vide Notification No. 11/2015-20, dated 17th July, 2019. Official Members and Ex-officio Members of the BOT were nominated through this Notification. Subsequently, vide Notification No. 21/2015-2020 dated 8th July, 2022, 29 Non-Official Members were nominated as Members of Board of Trade.
2. In supersession of Notification No. 21/2015-2020 dated 8th July, 2022 nominating 29 Members as Non-official members, the following 40 members from various backgrounds arc nominated as Non-official Members for the Board of Trade:
1. Shri Sunita Ramnathkar, President, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2. Shri Satish Goel, President, All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA)
3. Shri Vikrampati Singhania, President, Automobile Components Manufacturers Association (ACMA)
4. Shri K. M. Subramanian, President, Tiruppur Exporters’ Association
5. Shri Sanjay Nayyar, Founder, Sorin Investments
6. Shri C. S. Setty, Chairman, SBI
7. Shri Prashanth Prakash, Partner, Accel
8. Shri Virat Bhatia, MD, Apple India
9. Shri Pankaj Mahindroo, Chairman, India Cellular & Hectronics Association
10. Shri Jasbir Singh, CEO, Amber Industries
11. Shri Puran Dawar, Chairman and Founder, Dawar Group
12. Shri Naren Goenka, Owner (Chairman Bharat Tex), Texport Industries
13. Shri Jayen Mehta, Chairman, GCMMF
14. Shri Shashi Kiran, Founder & Executive Chairman, Allcargo Group
15. Shri Vaibhav Vohra, Group MD, Continental Carriers
16. Shri Anisli Shah, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra
17. Shri Dilip Oommen, CEO, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel
18. Shri Sandeep Somany, Chairman and MD, Somany Impressa Group
19. Shri Kushagra Srivastava, Co-Founder, Chakr Innovations
20. Shri Shailesh Chandra, President SIAM and MD & CEO, Tata Motors
21. Shri Laxmikumaran, Founder & Managing Partner, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan
22. Shri Flaigreve Khaitan, Managing Partner, Khaitan & Co.
23. Shri Arun Alagappan, Executive Chairman, Coromandel International Limited
24. Shri Satish Reddy, Chairperson, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.
25. Dr. Satyanarayana Chava, Executive Director and CEO, Laurus Labs
26. Shri Kunal A. Nahar, Director, Rajgir Gems
27. Shri Parth Jindal, MD, JSW Cements
28. Shri Shridhar Vembu, Co-founder, Zoho Corporation
29. Shri Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, CMD, Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW)
30. Shri Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe
31. Shri Pasha Patel, Former Member, Maharashtra Legislative Council
32. Shri Nimish Ashok Save, President (North Konkan Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture) &MD, Venture Proficient Ltd.
33. Shri Umesh Jain, Director, Sponge Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
34. Shri Venkat Rao Nekkanti, Managing Director, Nekkanti Sea Foods
35. Shri Rajiv Memani, Chairman and CEO, EY India
36. Shri Jitendra Kathiriya, Director & MI), I3harat Buildcon & Creatofox Communication Pvt. Ltd.
37. Dr. Upasana Arora, MD, Yashoda Group of Hospitals
38. President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
39. President, Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)
40. President, The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI)
3. Terms of Reference for the Non-official Members of the Board of Trade would be as follows:
I. To provide a platform to State Governments and UTs for articulating State-oriented perspectives on Trade Policy;
II. To act as a facilitator in the implementation of District Export Hub events, including sensitization workshops, identification, and promotion of identified products;
III. To provide a platform to the Government of India for apprising State Governments and UTs about International developments affecting India’s trade potential and opportunities, and to prepare them to deal with the evolving situation;
IV. To help State Governments develop and pursue export strategies in line with the National Foreign Trade Policy;
V. To provide a platform for deliberation on the need for infrastructure relevant for promoting trade and for identification of impediments and infrastructure gaps which adversely affect India’s export;
VI. To facilitate a mechanism for discussion on operationalization of the trade infrastructure;
VII. To advise the Government on policy measures for the preparation and implementation of both short and long-term plans for increasing exports;
VIII. To review export performance of various sectors, identify constraints, and suggest industry-specific measures to optimize export earnings;
IX. To examine the existing institutional framework for imports and exports and suggest practical measures for further streamlining to achieve the desired objectives;
X. To review policy instruments and procedures for imports and exports and suggest steps to rationalize use; and
XI. To examine issues which are considered relevant for the promotion of India’s foreign trade and for strengthening the international competitiveness of Indian goods and services.
(Lav Agarwal)
Director General of Foreign Trade &
Ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Govt. of India
Email: dgft@nic.in
(File No. 1/36/218/55/AM-25/Coord/ E-40509)
