NITI Aayog constitutes Expert Task Force on Employment & Exports

With an aim to create new jobs by enhancing India’s export, the NITI Aayog on 5 September 2017 constituted an Expert Task Force. The task force will be chaired by the NITI Aayog Vice Chairman, Dr. Rajiv Kumar.

The task force that also includes Secretary Department of Commerce; Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion among others have been asked to submit its report by November 2017.

The steps outlined by the task force to address this challenge of creating well-paid, formal sector jobs, include:

1. Proposing a comprehensive plan of action to generate employment and alleviate under-employment in both goods and services sectors and low wages by boosting India’s exports in key labour-intensive industries

2. Recommending sector-specific policy interventions in key employment sectors

3. Recommending measures to enhance trade in services with high employment potential

4. Identifying key macro economic factors constraining exports and suggesting methods to address these constraints

5. Assessing the effectiveness of existing schemes to promote exports

6. Addressing issues related to logistics, export credits and trade facilitation

7. Suggesting ways to enhance the availability of data on trade such that it is reliable, globally comparable and timely, particularly with respect to trade in services.

Composition of the Task Force

1. Vice Chairman NITI Aayog - Chairperson

2. CEO, NITI Aayog – Member

3. Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs – Member

4. Secretary, Department of Commerce -- Member

5. Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion -- Member

6. Rajeev Kher, former Secretary, Department of Commerce – Member

7. Secretary, Ministry of Textiles -- Member

8. Praveen Chakravarty, Senior Fellow, IDFC Institute

9. Ajit Ranade, Chief Economist, Aditya Birla Group

10. D. Shivakumar, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo, India – Member

11. Harish Ahuja, MD, Shahi Exports – Member

12. Dr. Jayanta Roy, formerly of The World Bank -- Member

13. Dipak Deva, CEO, Kuoni Travels, former President WTTDC

14. Sunil Vachani, Executive Chairman, Dixon Electronics – Member

15. Dhiraj Nayyar, OSD, NITI Aayog -- Convener

Why was the task force formed?

The release by NITI Aayog says, “While the Indian workforce has high aspirations, a majority of the workers are still employed in low-productivity, low-wage jobs in small, micro and own-account enterprises. An urgent and sustained expansion of the organized sector is essential to address India’s unemployment and under-employment issue.”

The think-tank also said, “An important strategy is also to enable a shift towards more labour-intensive goods and services that are destined for exports. Given the importance of exports in generating jobs, India needs to create an environment in which globally competitive exporters can emerge and flourish.”