Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu last week launched a mobile app 'Niryat Mitra', developed by exporters' association Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). The app--available both on Android and IOS--is designed to provide exporters a wide range of information required to operate international trade. This is a welcome step. No doubt, such a platform can prove very useful for the Exim community. 

Lack of crucial trade, tariff, policy and market related information often acts as a big obstacle in operating export-import business. On my Facebook page 'Voice of SMEs', I'm often contacted for a range of such information. Most of the times, it turns out very difficult to find out such information in one single place. It is also a time-consuming and tedious thing to do. But now the 'Niryat Mitra' app can really come in handy.

So, what can you search for using this app? This includes a wide range of information, like policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff/preferential tariff, market access requirements--SPS/TBT measures, etc. One interesting feature of 'Niryat Mitra' is that it works internally to map the ITC HS code of 87 countries (currently) with that of India and provide all the required data without the users bothering about the HS code of any country.

It also deserves mention that the app makes available the export promotion programmes organised by FIEO and provides opportunity to the industry to participate in them. No doubt, the feature will help to create export awareness among our businesses, particularly SMEs. It is however important to note that success of the platform will largely depend on how efficiently it can be handled, and I hope FIEO will be able to meet this challenge.

I invite your opinions.