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ICRIER-UNESCAP APAC Policy Summit Calls for Unified Framework to Boost E-commerce Exports National, 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, InclusiveEcosystem The summit’s deliberations revolved around MSME empowerment, digital inclusion, technology-driven trade, and cross-border cooperation.Discussions 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.