As many as 39 towns, including Agartala in Tripura state of Northeast India, have been recognised as Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) under the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 (extended up to 31.03.2022), the Union Commerce and Industry Ministry said on February 5.
Agartala was given the recognition as a Town of Export Excellence in bamboo cane and other handicrafts in the year 2011.
The Ministry announced in a release on Saturday that all TEE will have access to benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy, which means: 1. Recognized associations of units in Towns of Export Excellence can avail financial assistance under Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme, on priority basis, for export promotion projects for marketing, capacity building and technological services.
2. Common Service Providers in the Towns of Export Excellence are entitled for Authorisation under Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme, the ministry added.
So far, the benefits of TEE have been extended to four towns, including Tirupur, Indore, Dewas, Srinagar and AEKK (Aroor, Ezhupunna, Kodanthuruthu & Kuthiathodu)
It may be mentioned that towns producing goods of Rs 750 crore or more can be recognized as TEE based on potential for growth in exports.
However, for Town of Export Excellence (TEE) in Handloom, Handicraft, Agriculture and Fisheries sector, the threshold limit is Rs 150 crore. The notification of Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) is done under the Foreign Trade Policy based on the proposals received from the Industry Association and in consultation with other stakeholders.
Tripur in Tamil Nadu, Ludhiana in Punjab, Panipat in Haryana, Kanoor in Kerala and Manurai in Tamil Nadu are the five towns among the 39 Towns of of Export Excellence.
As per the official list, the latest entry in the list is Noida for apparel products in the year 2021
