Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on 11 November 2026 called for positioning India as the world's premier manufacturing hub, anchored by global partnerships and export-led growth, asserting that the country is well on track to hit a $1 trillion export target this year. He made the remarks at the curtain raiser of the third edition of Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi.

Key Developments at the Expo Launch

Goyal highlighted the growing stature of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo and stressed the centrality of the mobility sector to India's manufacturing and global economic ambitions. He urged industry stakeholders across the mobility value chain to look beyond the domestic market and aggressively pursue international markets and export opportunities.

The minister called on organisers and industry to market the event extensively worldwide, with a specific target of attracting at least 25,000 international visitors out of an expected 10 lakh total visitors. He also emphasised that the expo should expand its reach beyond original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to include tyre dealers, auto component manufacturers, suppliers, and the after-sales market.

India's Domestic Market as a Global Draw

Goyal underscored the sheer scale of India's domestic automobile market as a compelling case for global manufacturers. He noted that one million cars were sold during Navratri alone, while approximately 70,000 cars were sold over just two days of Dhanteras. According to the minister, this demand depth offers global manufacturers an ideal launchpad — produce in India, serve the world.

He argued that complementing India's large home market with international markets would allow businesses to achieve economies of scale and become globally price-competitive. Expressing confidence in Indian manufacturers already supplying to Japanese and European automobile companies, as well as the aerospace and defence sectors, Goyal said they already had the capability to meet world-class quality benchmarks.

FTA Negotiations and the European Opportunity

Referring to ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, the minister outlined a phased approach under which market access in India would initially allow European automobile manufacturers to introduce a limited number of models to test demand. Once commercially viable models are identified, manufacturers could establish production facilities in India — not just for domestic sales but also for exports to global markets.

This model, Goyal argued, would generate significant downstream opportunities for Indian component manufacturers, startups, steel and rubber industries, and others across the mobility ecosystem. He urged industry to seize these openings before competing nations did.

India as a Technology and Design Hub

Beyond manufacturing, Goyal called for India to emerge as a centre for technology development and design innovation, with talent-driven solutions anchored domestically. This comes amid intensifying global competition from China, Vietnam, and Mexico for manufacturing relocation driven by supply chain diversification trends post-pandemic.

Notably, the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in its current format consolidates segments that had historically held separate exhibitions at different times and venues — often drawing the same pool of visitors — into a single integrated platform. With the third edition now being planned, the government is clearly betting on the event as a marquee vehicle to project India's industrial ambitions on the global stage.