Govt Forms Six Working Groups To Identify 100 Products For Import Substitution

New Delhi, Jun 5 (KNN) The Indian government has constituted six sector-specific working groups to identify up to 100 products for promoting domestic manufacturing and reducing import dependence, an official said. 

"The aim is to promote indigenisation of those products," the official told PTI.

The groups are tasked with drawing up a final list of items for indigenisation and submitting it to the Cabinet Secretariat within three weeks.

Structure and Mandate

The six working groups cover the following sectors: pharmaceuticals, biotech and medical devices; chemicals, petrochemicals, textiles and footwear; capital goods, automotive, electric vehicles and advanced capital goods; energy; construction equipment and infrastructure; and defence and aerospace — limited to items with civilian applicability — and electronics.

The six groups, chaired by the DPIIT Secretary, will include representatives from key ministries including Commerce, DPIIT, NITI Aayog, Pharmaceuticals, Economic Affairs, Science and Technology, Chemicals, Textiles, Heavy Industry, Ports and Shipping, Electronics and IT, Road Transport, New and Renewable Energy, and Oil.

The groups will focus on products that are either not manufactured in India at all or are produced in quantities insufficient to meet domestic demand. The broader objective is to scale up manufacturing for both domestic consumption and global export markets.

Tackling the Import Bill

The initiative is also aimed at curbing the outflow of foreign exchange, which is weighing on the value of the Indian rupee. India's total imports rose 7.5 per cent to USD 775 billion in FY2025–26. 

The largest import categories last fiscal included electronic goods (USD 116.2 billion), crude oil (USD 174 billion), machinery (USD 61.73 billion), transport equipment (USD 34.75 billion), coal, coke and briquettes (USD 27.9 billion), chemicals (USD 28 billion), artificial resins and plastics (USD 22.75 billion), vegetable oil (USD 19.5 billion), fertilisers (USD 16 billion), and ores and minerals (USD 14.12 billion).

(KNN Bureau)