The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is focusing on creating more capacities within the country to produce items that can cut down imports and accelerate exports in the electronics and hardware sector, including ventilators.

Speaking at a webinar organised by Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC), its Director General Amit Yadav said on Wednesday: "Within our set-up, we are consulting the industry and others as to where we should focus to create new capacities to reduce imports and accelerate exports."

He noted the shortage in case of ventilators, adding that the focus now would be more on creating manufacturing capacities and exporting the products.

He added that several other electronics and hardware items are also on the government radar in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector for augmenting domestic manufacturing and exports.

Yadav said that DGFT was in an overhaul mode and many changes are being introduced to respond to the present challenges.

"By the end of this year, we hope to complete the overhaul, with many changes to be brought about to address the trade barriers and to ensure ease of doing business," he said, adding that no system is perfect and changes and the process of revamping a system is a continuous one since there are a lot of expectations from the DGFT in the changed environs.

The officer also stressed the need for developing an electronic component sector to pave the way for building strong backward and forward linkages.

On the industry's suggestion for a conductive environment to develop the electronics sector, Yadav said that continuous consultations have been held with the industry and other stakeholders to understand the "pain points and to ensure forward and backward integration in the electronics and hardware sector".

"Our efforts are to promote ease of doing business and give exporters all possible help through application of technology," he said.