The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has designated five districts, Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Gwalior, and Narmadapuram, as export hubs in a strategic move to expand its overseas trade and integrate more micro, small, and medium enterprises into the international market.
Madhya Pradesh has chosen Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Gwalior and Narmadapuram as districts to be developed as export hubs, in a push designed to widen the state’s overseas trade base and bring more small businesses into international markets, according to KNN and reporting in The Times of India. The move sits within a Centre-backed programme that aims to build export capacity in about 500 districts across India and reduce the heavy concentration of shipments in a handful of locations.
Officials say the main task is to draw more micro, small and medium enterprises into the export system. That means helping firms identify products with overseas potential, meet quality and certification requirements and navigate packaging, documentation, logistics and buyer access, according to the reports. Dedicated district-level officers or nodal teams are also expected to help businesses work through compliance issues and other procedural bottlenecks.
The state exported goods worth about Rs 68,500 crore in the last financial year, but the trade profile remains skewed towards a few districts. Dhar accounted for 35.92% of exports, followed by Indore at 12.45% and Raisen at 11.21%, with the top 10 districts contributing nearly 88% of Madhya Pradesh’s total shipments, according to the KNN report. In a separate update, The Times of India said the state’s merchandise exports rose 3.95% to ₹68,837.01 crore in FY 2025-26, led by pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and other value-added products.
Each of the five districts has been assigned sectors that reflect existing industrial strengths. Indore is being positioned around pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, auto components and processed food, while Bhopal has a base in heavy electrical and engineering products. Ujjain is linked to textiles, chemicals and agro-processing, Gwalior to sandstone, footwear and sesame, and Narmadapuram to farm exports including basmati rice, maize and pulses. The wider goal is to create local export ecosystems that can support regular shipments and attract investment, particularly in districts beyond the state’s established centres.
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