Gujarat recorded exports of $66 billion in 2017-18, a rise of over 22% compared to $54 billion in 2016-17, a top government official said here on Wednesday. However, experts said that comparison of one year shows only a partial picture and the real picture emerges if a 3-5 year duration is taken into considered. "Not only have exports risen, Gujarat's share in national exports also rose from about 19% to 22% during the year. Gujarat has wide range of products which are exported," said MK Das, principal secretary in state Industries and Mines Department quoting a recent report of NITI Aayog. Das reiterated that there are discrepancies in the recent rankings by central Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in terms of Ease of Doing Business (EODB) for all the states in the country. Accordingly Gujarat's ranking has dropped from from third to fifth rank. Industry players admit that exports are rising. Yogesh Parikh, president of Gujarat Dyestuffs Manufacturers Association (GDMA) said that chemical and dyestuffs exports grew 3% during the period. Chirag Doshi, former chairman in Gujarat for Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) said that pharma exports are also rising. Experts say that one year period does not reveal the real picture and it is necessary to consider 3-5 year period. "India's exports stood at $314 billion in 2013-14, the it has dropped to $310 billion in 14-15, $262 billion in 15-16 and then revived to $277 billion (provisional figures) in 2017-18. It means that although exports are rising, it has not reached 13-14 levels," said Hemantkumar Shah, a faculty of Economics in Ahmedabad. GROWTH PATH

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