Traders visit Samrala port, get hands-on experience of export biz
Ludhiana: Dozens of aspiring exporters took part in a practical training visit to the pristine inland container depot (ICD), also known as a dry port, in Samrala's Bija village recently.
The visit was part of an export training programme organised by the Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) to provide hands-on experience and knowledge of the export process to budding entrepreneurs and MSMEs.
Many participants said they were learning about exports for the first time.
"I had no idea about duty drawbacks, IC dates, or road tap incentives before this," said Paras Kapoor, who runs an auto parts business manufacturing components for trucks and tractors.
"I had my doubts about documentation, packaging requirements, and logistics, all of which got clarified on seeing everything here in practice."
Participants strongly emphasised the need for the govt to conduct more such training programmes and make them accessible to all businesses.
"Such trainings should be free and widely available," said Bhavneet Singh of Sukhbir Enterprises, a Ludhiana-based auto parts manufacturer.
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"Many businesses have export-quality products but hesitate due to lack of knowledge. If we want 'Make in India' to become 'Sell to the World,' we need to educate entrepreneurs."
At the Samrala dry port, attendees were shown the entire export workflow, including customs clearance procedures, material inspection protocols, container handling, and interactions with officials and rules. Trainers also explained export schemes, refund processes like duty drawbacks, IC dates, and govt incentives available to businesses.
Anuj Saharan, who is into forging business, praised the mix of theory and practice. "Most small businesses don't even know what benefits they're eligible for under MSME export schemes. This training gave clarity on the shipping process, export documentation, and practical do's and don'ts."
Several participants shared that they had held back from exporting, despite having quality products, because of the perceived complexity of the system.
"There's a fear of the unknown," said another participant, adding, "We've been serving domestic clients only, even though our materials are export-ready. The only thing holding us back was not knowing how to start."
Experts conducting the training underlined the vital role dry ports like the one in Samrala play in simplifying exports for landlocked regions, by offering logistics and customs clearance services closer to industrial hubs.
Vinod Kumar, the instructor of the exports training programme at CICU, called for a broader push to help local businesses tap into international markets.
"The govt must start conducting free exports training to make 'Make in India' go global," another attendee said. "Though there has been focus on exports, but without wide accessible training on importing and exporting, the true potential of 'Make in India' cannot be unleashed," he added.
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VISIT AN EYE-OPENER
I had no idea about duty drawbacks, IC dates, or road tap incentives before this. I had my doubts about documentation, packaging requirements, and logistics, all of which got clarified on seeing everything here in practice
Paras Kapoor, who runs an auto parts business manufacturing components for trucks and tractors
Such trainings should be free and widely available. Many businesses have export-quality products but hesitate due to lack of knowledge. If we want 'Make in India' to become 'Sell to the World', we need to educate entrepreneurs
Bhavneet Singh of Sukhbir Enterprises, a Ludhiana-based auto parts manufacturer
Most small businesses don't even know what benefits they're eligible for under MSME export schemes. This training gave clarity on the shipping process, export documentation, and practical do's and don'ts
Anuj Saharan, who is into forging business
There's a fear of the unknown. We've been serving domestic clients only, even though our materials are export-ready. The only thing holding us back was not knowing how to start
A participant
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