(MENAFN- ForPressRelease) November 06: As India positions itself at the forefront of digital trade in the APAC region, policymakers and industry experts convened at the Second Asia-Pacific E-commerce Policy Summit to deliberate on the region's evolving digital commerce landscape. Experts underscored the urgent need for harmonised digital trade frameworks and interoperable payment systems to accelerate cross-border e-commerce growth in the region. Policymakers and industry experts highlighted that while India is emerging as a key driver of digital exports in Asia, a fragmented policy environment continues to limit the potential of MSMEs and women-led enterprises to participate in global value chains.

The two-day summit was co-hosted by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the UNESCAP Subregional Office for South and South-West Asia (SSWA), in partnership with Startup India (DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry), MSL Group, Amazon India and Express Industry Council of India.

A key highlight of the summit was ICRIER announced plans to set up a Working Group on APAC E-commerce Policy, which will develop recommendations on data interoperability, consumer protection, and AI governance by mid-2026. Further, Amazon India Exports Digest was previewed, highlighting sellers on its Global Selling programme have crossed $20 billion in cumulative exports, ahead of its 2025 target. The milestone underscored the growing role of digital platforms in driving MSME-led exports and enhancing India's global trade footprint.

Digital Trade at an Inflection Point
Speakers emphasized the need for a unified approach to policy and digital infrastructure across the region. The inaugural session themed "Vision for Advancing APAC's Digital Trade Ecosystem" highlighted that while digital commerce is rapidly transforming trade flows, challenges around fragmented regulations, logistics costs, and data interoperability continue to impede cross-border trade efficiency.

"E-commerce is the biggest enabler for MSME exports, by increasing access to global markets while keeping costs affordable. The policy framework must work more cohesively to reduce regulatory friction to achieve India's ecommerce export targets" said Nirupama Soundararajan, Co-founder & CEO, Policy Consensus Centre.

Exports Digest Highlights MSME Success Stories
Amazon's Exports Digest 2025previewed at the summit showcased how over 200,000 Indian sellers are reaching customers in more than 200 countries and territories through the platform. The top-performing categories included home décor, beauty, and kitchenware with small businesses from cities like Surat, Jaipur, and Coimbatore driving global demand for "Made in India" products. According to Amazon, this growth demonstrates how digital marketplaces can democratize exports and help India achieve its long-term target of a $2 trillion export economy by 2030.

Srinidhi Kalvapudi, Head, India Global Selling, Amazon India, stated "When we started in 2015, our pledge was to enable $10 billion in exports by 2025. We've already crossed $20 billion before that. Now our vision is to reach $80 billion by 2030. Long range milestones are never about foresight - they're about conviction that India has a lot to offer the world and that technology can enable it."

Building a Future-Ready, Inclusive Ecosystem
The summit's deliberations revolved around MSME empowerment, digital inclusion, technology-driven trade, and cross-border cooperation focussed on building a future-ready e-commerce ecosystem driven by interoperability, inclusivity, and innovation. Experts agreed that enabling MSME participation through simplified export processes, affordable logistics, and digital skilling will be key to sustaining growth. The need for harmonised regulations across data governance, payments, and platform operations was emphasised to promoting trust and predictability in digital trade.

Sessions also explored how emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain can streamline trade documentation and compliance, reducing costs and improving transparency. Speakers from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Department of Commerce, and UNESCAP stressed the importance of secure, paperless trade systems and robust cross-border payment frameworks to strengthen confidence among small exporters.

A high-level dialogue on "Digital Empowerment of Women" brought attention to the need for gender-responsive digital trade strategies, with participants from across the region sharing successful models for integrating women entrepreneurs into global value chains Summit concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen APAC-level cooperation on digital trade standards, enhance MSME readiness, and build a regional framework for secure, paperless, and gender-inclusive e-commerce.

Dr. Arpita Mukherjee, Professor, ICRIER noted, "Empowerment and digital equipment are two different things. Women must first be digitally equipped and then truly empowered to lead in trade, innovation and technology".

About ICRIER

Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) is an independent public policy organization known for providing informative and insightful ideas to accelerate India's inclusive development. Established in 1981 with the motto of "linking India with the world," it has grown to become one of India's most well-known policy research think tanks in the areas of Agriculture, Climate Change, Digital Economy, Economic Growth, Jobs and Gender, and Trade, Industry and Investment. While serving as a trusted advisor to the governments, corporates, multilaterals and foundations, ICRIER continues to function as a bridge between the academic world and the policy arena.

Company:-Visage11 Advisors Pvt. Ltd.

User:- Amitabh Kumar

Email:[email protected]

MENAFN06112025003198003206ID1110305690