Overview

India’s combined goods and services exports reached an all‑time high of $863.1 billion in FY 26, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Services drove the surge, climbing 8.7% to a record $421.3 billion, which now represents 48.8% of the export basket (up from $387.5 billion in FY 25). The government has set a target of $2 trillion in exports by FY 30‑31, split evenly between goods and services, implying more than a doubling of current levels.

Payoneer India Cross‑Border Excellence Awards 2026

On 25 September 2026 in New Delhi, Payoneer, in association with The Economic Times, concluded its 2026 awards cycle with a two‑part programme: a summit on market access, growth corridors and outbound compliance, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing 16 category winners.

Summit Sessions

1. Inaugural address – Nagesh Devata, Senior Vice President & Head of APAC, Payoneer, presented “India’s Next Export Leap: Turning Global Market Access into Growth.”

2. Trade‑Agreement Update – Highlighted the India‑UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (effective 15 July 2026) providing zero‑duty access on about 99% of tariff lines and services commitments across 137 sub‑sectors. The India‑EU FTA (concluded January 2026) awaits ratification; agreements with Oman are in force, and a New Zealand pact is set to expand access.

3. Growth Corridors Panel – Dr Abhay Sinha (Director General, SEPC), Commodore Bunty Sethi (Retd., Director, Aerospace & Defence, UK‑India Business Council) and Dr Sridevi Arunachalam (Founder, Indo‑UAE Economic Chamber) discussed services and advanced manufacturing as the two most consequential export corridors.

4. Regulatory Fireside Chat – MS Mani (Partner, Deloitte) and Pashupati Nath (Partner, Khaitan & Co) debated overseas direct investment (ODI) regulations with Gaurav Shisodia (Vice President & Country Manager, Payoneer India).

Awards Evaluation Framework

Nominees were scored on a weighted framework:

  • Growth and scale – 40% (revenue trajectory over 2‑3 years, billed foreign revenue for services)
  • Market reach & diversification – 30% (geographic spread of customers)
  • Innovation & differentiation – 15%
  • Employment & community impact – 10%
  • Digital infrastructure & payments readiness – 5%

Award Categories & Winners

The programme featured 16 categories across four tracks:

  • Service exports (6 categories) – Winners included SalesCode.ai (AI‑native route‑to‑market platform operating in 25 countries) and Nexdigm (clients in >50 countries).
  • E‑commerce product verticals (3 categories) – Notable winners: IBA Crafts Pvt Ltd., Mehta E‑Retail India, Eurospa.
  • Independent categories (4) – Amantya Technologies Pvt Ltd. (Women in Export Excellence, CEO Anuradha Gupta), CTA Apparels Pvt Ltd. (Global Employer, >6,000 employees), Xoxoday (SaaS & B2B Solutions), Ziegler Aerospace (Regional Export Leader – South India).
  • Regional honours (3) – North India: Integral Logistics Services (ILS); South India: Ziegler Aerospace; West & East India: Laxcon Steels Ltd. and Kalapi Engineering Associates Pvt Ltd.

Impact and Visibility

The awards provide a transparent benchmark for export‑ready businesses, offering winners exposure on The Economic Times and Payoneer platforms, and a credibility signal for overseas partners and investors. By coupling recognition with sessions on trade agreements, growth corridors and ODI compliance, the programme underscores that future export growth will depend as much on execution and regulatory navigation as on ambition.

Government Export Ambitions

A Ministry of Commerce official reiterated the $2 trillion export goal for FY 30‑31, emphasizing structural transformation over incremental gains. The e‑commerce export target of $200‑300 billion by FY 30 (up from an estimated $4‑5 billion in FY 23 per a July 2024 EY‑ASSOCHAM report) was also highlighted.

About Payoneer

Payoneer is a cross‑border payments platform that enables millions of businesses in emerging markets to receive and make payments globally, manage multi‑currency funds and grow internationally.

About The Economic Times

The Economic Times is India’s leading financial daily, reaching executives, policymakers, investors and business leaders worldwide.

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