INDUSTRY OUTREACH (IO) EVENTS

1. DGFT’s commitment to ‘industry outreach’ programmes is enshrined in the Foreign Trade Policy, where a sub-para under para 2.50 of the Handbook of Procedures (Vol. I), 2004-2009 (as amended upto 31.3.2005) has been incorporated which reads as follows:

“DGFT in association with the Administrative Ministries / Departments and the Trade Associations will organize Industry Outreach Programme on regular basis for an effective awareness among the exporters/ importer dealing with the trade, in particular, in SCOMET items.”

2. The DGFT has been organizing Industry Outreach (IO) Events on a regular basis for effective awareness of the exporters about the SCOMET items. These events are organized through close coordination among the various Ministries / Departments involved with the licensing of SCOMET items.

3. While organizing these events, DGFT also solicits the cooperation of the Industry Associations in the organization of the programmes at various venues across the country. They may also request the respective Export Promotion Councils and other bodies for their active participation so that the participation of the members of targeted industries, manufacturers and traders is ensured in the Outreach programmes.

4. From the current year, the DGFT proposes to organize at least one Outreach event in every quarter of the year, at various destinations across the country, with cooperation of the Industry Associations. Each outreach event will be well - structured with a sector-specific or region-centered (or both) focus. For the year 2005-06, four such programmes are tentatively proposed to be organized, one in each of the four zones.

IO PROGRAMME AT VADODARA

5. The first of such IO events was organized recently in Vadodara on 29^th June, 2005 by FICCI in association with DGFT. ICMA and CHEMEXCIL also played an active role in the organization of this event. 30-35 representatives of various Chemical industries participated in this IO event, which was organized in the Taj Residency, Vadodara.

6. In this IO programme, three presentations were made by the Government representatives, viz.:-

a. Mr. Ashutosh Jindal, Joint DGFT on ‘export controls and procedures for SCOMET items’; and

b. Mr P.N. Maji, Addl. Industrial Adviser, Deptt. of C&PC, on the ‘Chemical Weapons Convention’; and

c. Ms. Lata Mohan, Joint Director, NA, CWC on the ‘role of NA, CWC’.

Each of these presentations was followed by Question-Answer and clarificatory sessions.