In its 11th meeting, the National Traders’ Welfare Board reviewed progress on GST rationalisation, digital initiatives, MSME access to finance, and new export opportunities following the India-UK CEPA, signalling a strategic push to empower traders and streamline policies.
The National Traders’ Welfare Board met in New Delhi on 25 September 2026 to examine a broad package of issues facing traders, including GST compliance, access to finance, digital adoption and export promotion. The 11th meeting was held in hybrid mode at Vanijya Bhawan and was chaired by Sunil J. Singhi, with Yuvraj Ravindra Patil, a director in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, opening proceedings and outlining the board’s remit.
According to the meeting note and related reports, the discussion on goods and services tax centred on rationalisation, delayed refunds, lengthy audits, amnesty schemes, anomalies in input tax credit and pending appeals. The board also considered measures aimed at improving credit access for traders and small businesses, including the possibility of bringing traders into MSME facilitation committees, creating a centralised loan portal with a 30-day turnaround, reforming the CIBIL score mechanism and setting up grievance helplines for traders.
The board also turned to digital and institutional support, including proposals to extend ONDC and DigiDukaan to the district level, establish women entrepreneurship facilitation desks under NITI Aayog and create POSH cells for grievance redressal. It also discussed stronger cyber-fraud complaint systems. Singhi said the Jan Vishwas Act was among the government’s trader-welfare reforms and noted that state traders’ welfare boards have been set up in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He added that 100 consecutive virtual conferences had been held to deepen engagement between the Centre and the states.
Export promotion also featured on the agenda, with members looking at opportunities linked to the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which came into force on 15 July 2026. The board said it would continue work through thematic committees and working groups to examine sector-specific concerns. It ended by reaffirming its focus on policy advocacy, digital empowerment, ease of doing business and closer Centre-state coordination.
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