Piyush Goyal to inaugurate Asian Productivity Organization meeting in Delhi; member nations to discuss Vision 2030, budget & reforms

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the 68th Governing Body meeting of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in New Delhi on May 21, where delegates from 20 member economies will discuss the organisation's Vision 2030 roadmap, budget proposals and institutional reforms.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the 68th Governing Body meeting of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in New Delhi on May 21, where delegates from 20 member economies will discuss the organisation's Vision 2030 roadmap, budget proposals and institutional reforms. According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the three-day meeting is being hosted by the Government of India from May 20 to 22 at Bharat Mandapam, as India currently holds the chairmanship of the APO Governing Body.

More than 60 senior delegates from member economies are participating in the session. Representatives from diplomatic missions, APO advisers and observers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bhutan and the Global Green Growth Institute are also expected to attend. The meeting will deliberate on key issues including the APO Vision 2030 framework, preliminary budget for the 2027-28 biennium and review of election procedures for the Secretary-General.

The agenda also includes election of the APO Chair and Vice Chairs for 2026-27, adoption of the annual and financial report, institutional reforms and review of the APO Secretariat's performance. During the inaugural session, awards will be presented under the APO National Awards Programme in recognition of productivity advocates and technical experts from member economies.

India assumed the APO chairmanship during the 67th Governing Body meeting held in May 2025, when Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, took over as chair and announced India's decision to host this year's session. Established in 1961, the Asian Productivity Organization is an intergovernmental body comprising 21 economies from the Asia-Pacific region and works to promote productivity-led economic growth through cooperation, policy dialogue and knowledge sharing.

The event will also provide a platform for bilateral and multilateral engagements among member economies to strengthen regional cooperation in productivity, innovation and sustainable development. (ANI)