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The Centre has nominated 29 non-official members from multiple backgrounds and different sectors in the Board of Trade.

They have been nominated as Non-Officials Members for the Board of Trade, chaired by the commerce and industry minister.

The new non-official members include Tata Consultancy Services Chief Executive officer and Managing Director Rajesh Gopinathan, KKR India Chairman Sanjay Nayyar, and Laghu Udyog Bharati Executive Member Om Prakash Mittal.

Laxmikumaran, founder and Managing Partner, Laxmikumaran & Sridharan, Pasha Patel, Former Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, RS Sodhi, GCMMF (Amul) Managing Director, Pankaj Mahindroo, India Cellular and Electronics Association Chairman are some other members of the board.

"The Board of Trade (BOT) has been constituted by merging Council for Trade Development and Promotion with Board of Trade vide Notification No. 11/2015-20, dated 17th July, 2019", said a notification of the commerce ministry in the Gazette of India. It also added that the official members and Ex-officio Members of the BOT have been nominated through this notification.

The trade board provides a platform to discuss ways on boosting manufacturing and exports. The members are entrusted with the task of providing a platform to state governments and UTs for articulating state-oriented perspectives on trade policy; to act as facilitators in the implementation of District Export Hub events including sensitization workshops, and identification, and promotion of identified products.

The members will examine the existing institutional framework for imports and exports and suggest practical measures for further streamlining to achieve desired objectives. It will review policy instruments and procedure for imports and exports and suggest steps to rationalise use, and will examine issues which are considered relevant for promotion of India's foreign trade and for strengthening international competitiveness of Indian goods and services.