Piyush Goyal Unveils LEADS 2025 and Expands Global Trade Push

 India has set an ambitious target of achieving US$1 trillion in exports during the current financial year as the government intensifies efforts to strengthen trade agreements, reduce logistics costs and improve global competitiveness, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced on Wednesday.

Speaking at the LEAPS Awards 2025 ceremony and the release of the LEADS Report 2025 in New Delhi, Goyal highlighted India’s growing integration with global markets through a rapidly expanding network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), alongside major reforms aimed at transforming the country’s logistics ecosystem.

The event brought together senior government officials, logistics stakeholders, startups, MSMEs, industry associations, academic institutions and representatives from across the supply chain ecosystem.

India Now Linked to Two-Thirds of Global Trade Through FTAs

Goyal revealed that India has concluded FTAs covering 38 developed and prosperous economies over the past three and a half years.

According to the Minister:

• Four agreements are already operational

• Five more are expected to come into force within the next 12 months

Combined with India’s earlier trade agreements with:

• Japan

• South Korea

• ASEAN countries

the FTAs now cover more than two-thirds of global trade and economies, significantly expanding India’s access to international markets.

Trade analysts say the agreements are expected to strengthen India’s export competitiveness and support diversification into new global markets.

India Expands Trade Negotiations Worldwide

The Minister also disclosed that India is actively negotiating additional trade agreements with several countries and regional blocs.

Ongoing Negotiations Include:

• Chile

• Maldives

• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

• Canada

• Eurasia

• Mexico

• Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

• Mercosur

Goyal said agreements with Chile and Maldives are expected to be concluded before the end of the year.

The GCC negotiations are particularly significant as they involve all six Gulf nations, including:

• Saudi Arabia

• Qatar

• Kuwait

• Bahrain

• Oman

• United Arab Emirates

Experts say expanding India’s FTA network is central to the country’s strategy of boosting exports, strengthening supply chains and attracting global investment.

India Achieves Record US$863 Billion Exports

Despite major global disruptions, India recorded an all-time high export figure of US$863 billion during the financial year ending March 31, 2026.

The achievement came amid:

• High global tariffs

• The continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict

• The West Asia crisis

• Slowing global economic growth

Goyal noted that:

• Services exports grew by approximately 8.5–9%

• Overall exports expanded by nearly 5% over the previous year

The government has now set a new aspirational export target of US$1 trillion, which officials believe can be supported by:

• Operationalisation of new FTAs

• Improved market access

• Better logistics efficiency

• Stronger global competitiveness

Logistics Reform Declared National Mission

Goyal emphasised that reducing logistics costs has become an urgent national priority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

He said infrastructure investment, faster transportation systems and seamless logistics integration are helping improve efficiency and productivity across the economy.

“Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken up reduction of logistics costs as an urgent national mission to make India globally competitive,” Goyal said.

The Minister highlighted reforms such as:

• GST implementation

• Decriminalisation of laws

• Reduction of compliance burdens

• Simplification of business procedures

• Technology-driven logistics systems

These measures, he said, are helping create a more seamless and efficient business environment.

Global Disruptions Seen as Opportunity

Rather than viewing global instability as purely negative, Goyal argued that geopolitical and economic disruptions should be treated as opportunities for India to improve competitiveness.

“The West Asia crisis, slowing global growth and other international disruptions should be viewed by India as opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce logistics costs, strengthen competitiveness and expand export markets,” he said.

He stressed that continuous improvements in logistics, technology adoption and business processes would further enhance India’s export capabilities and foreign exchange earnings.

India’s Demographic and Digital Strength Highlighted

The Minister also highlighted several structural advantages positioning India as a major global economic hub.

According to Goyal, India’s strengths include:

• Democratic governance framework

• Large domestic market

• Young population

• Strong digital infrastructure

• Diverse manufacturing and services base

• Skilled workforce

He noted that India produces approximately 1.4 million STEM graduates annually and has become a major destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

Currently:

• Around 1,700–1,800 GCCs are operational in India

• Another 500 GCCs are in the pipeline

Multinational companies, he said, are increasingly leveraging India’s talent pool, digital ecosystem and lower operational costs to expand global operations.

Government Pushes Ease of Doing Business Reforms

Goyal highlighted major regulatory reforms aimed at improving ease of doing business.

According to the Minister:

• Nearly 1,000 offences have been decriminalised through the Jan Vishwas Bill

• Around 42,000 compliance burdens have been reduced

Further reforms are underway to:

• Simplify procedures

• Integrate government databases

• Move more services online

LEAPS 2025 Recognises Logistics Excellence

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organised the LEAPS Awards 2025 — short for:

Logistics Excellence, Advancement and Performance Shield

The initiative recognises excellence and innovation across the logistics and supply chain ecosystem.

LEAPS 2025 featured awards across 13 categories spanning:

• Core logistics

• MSMEs

• Startups

• Institutions

• Special categories

The awards align with the goals of:

• PM GatiShakti

• National Logistics Policy

• Multimodal transport integration

• Sustainability

• Technology adoption

LEADS 2025 Introduces New Four-Tier Framework

The Minister also released the LEADS 2025 Report — the government’s flagship assessment of logistics performance across States and Union Territories.

The seventh edition introduces a more rigorous and data-driven evaluation system, with:

• Nearly 59% weightage assigned to objective indicators

The report now uses a new four-tier classification framework:

Exemplars

Top-performing states and UTs demonstrating sustained logistics excellence.

Key Exemplars:

• Tamil Nadu (Coastal States)

• Uttar Pradesh (Landlocked States)

• Mizoram (North-Eastern States)

• Delhi (Union Territories)

High Performers

States and UTs showing strong outcomes across most logistics indicators.

Accelerators

Regions demonstrating notable reform momentum and improvement.

Growth-Seekers

States and UTs at foundational stages of logistics ecosystem development.

Officials said the revised framework will support more targeted logistics reforms and evidence-based policy planning.

Logistics Seen as Key to India’s Economic Ambitions

Secretary DPIIT Amardeep Singh Bhatia highlighted the importance of a resilient logistics ecosystem in improving India’s global competitiveness and reducing supply chain costs.

Experts say logistics efficiency remains one of the most important factors in determining export competitiveness, manufacturing growth and supply chain reliability.

India’s broader logistics reforms are expected to support:

• Manufacturing expansion

• Export growth

• Industrial competitiveness

• Foreign investment attraction

• Supply chain integration

India Positions Itself as Global Economic Hub

The government’s combined push on FTAs, infrastructure investment, logistics reform and digital governance reflects India’s broader ambition to position itself as a major global manufacturing, services and trade hub.

Goyal urged all stakeholders to contribute toward strengthening India’s competitiveness through greater efficiency, innovation and productivity.

“He said every effort to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance productivity contributes towards making India a stronger economic power,” the statement noted.

As India targets the US$1 trillion export milestone, officials believe improvements in logistics, market access and institutional reforms will be critical in sustaining long-term economic growth and global competitiveness.