New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- The government is drawing up a calibrated strategy to boost shipments to key trade partners after noticing that exports haven't kept up with intent. Although Indian exporters secured a record 721,000 certificates of origin in 2024-25, up from 685,000 in fiscal year 2024 (FY24), per government data, in some key markets exports declined. A certificate of origin (CoO) is critical for exporters as it authenticates goods shipped to countries with which India has a free trade agreement (FTA), allowing access to lower tariffs. However, trade experts say more CoOs do not guarantee higher exports, as factors such as competitiveness, non-tariff barriers, and demand conditions play a greater role. The US's steep tariffs has also pushed policymakers to overhaul India's export promotion strategy to focus on FTA partners and create a cushion against potential losses from conventional markets. At 50%, India faces the highest tariffs among the US's trading partners, putting India's exports worth $86.5 billion at risk. To mitigate the impact, the government is planning closer engagement with key trade partners, awareness programmes for exporters, and a sharper focus on resolving procedural hurdles that prevent shipments from enjoying preferential access under FTAs, said three officials involved in the process, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Our objective is to make sure every certificate of origin issued under an FTA translates into real trade. We are working on a comprehensive approach to lift exports to these markets over the coming years," one of them said. The second official said the government has set a target to double exports to India's FTA partners and is "working on multiple fronts to make the export of goods seamless". A preliminary assessment by the department of commerce showed significant export potential across all FTA partners in key sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, leather, agricultural goods, marine products, chemicals, and plastics, the officials said. "Dedicated officers will be deployed in missions to identify market opportunities for different categories of products and facilitate exporters in realizing the benefits of CoOs with FTA partners," the third official said. "The new strategy will also include reviewing sectoral bottlenecks and pursuing market access issues more actively with partner countries, particularly where non-tariff barriers continue to blunt India's advantage," this official added. The ministries of commerce and external affairs did not reply to emailed queries. The Asean bloc (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) accounted for the largest share of certificates of origin issued to Indian exporters in FY25-179,000, up from 165,000 in FY24. But India's exports to Asean in FY25 fell 5.5% to $38.96 billion, commerce ministry data show. While overall merchandise exports in FY25 remained nearly flat at $433.56 billion, up just 0.11% from $433.09 billion in FY24, the trend varied across India's FTA partners. Exports to the UAE rose 2.9% to $36.64 billion, and to Australia by 8% to $8.58 billion, corresponding with an increase in certificates or origin obtained for these nations-122,000 from 98,000 for the UAE, and 77,231 from 64,864 for Australia. However, shipments to South Korea declined 9.3% to $5.82 billion, and to Mauritius by 13.1% to $676.34 million. "We are seeing a mismatch at present as the commerce ministry is largely relying on data from importing countries. The question is, why would exporters apply for CoOs and not actually use them?," said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. "In our discussions with the ministry, we agree that India is not exploiting FTAs as effectively as partner countries have. The target of doubling exports with FTA partners will definitely help increase trade," Sahai said. Overall, India's merchandise exports in August fell to $35.10 billion from $37.24 billion in July. "FTAs provide the gateway, but exporters need the right product strength, supply chain readiness, and policy support to fully tap them," added Ajay Srivastava, co-founder of think-tank Global Trade Research Initiative and a former Indian Trade Service officer....