Dr Ajay Sahai is the Director General & CEO of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), jointly set up by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India and private trade and industry in the year 1965, for promoting India’s exports. FIEO, an ISO 9001: 2015 certified organization, comprising of management which includes Chairmen of all Export Promotion Councils, Export Development Authorities/Commodity Boards and representatives of Government recognized status holders, is the apex export promotion organization in the country with direct membership of above 35,000 exporters from all over the country contributing to about 70% of India’s total exports. During his tenure as DG & CEO, FIEO, the membership of the organisation increased from 7,200 to about 35,000 in the last sixteen years.

Dr Sahai was earlier Joint DGFT in the Policy Division of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade where he played key role in the formulation of the Foreign Trade Policy from 1996 to 2003. He was member of the High level task force of Government of India on Exim Policy. Besides having expertise in Foreign Trade Policy, Dr Sahai brings to his position considerable experience in the area of Customs and Excise, has functioned as the Designated Authority for the Pass Book Scheme with the Delhi Customs. For FIEO members, he has extended a live chat facility between 3 to 5 pm on every Wednesday and now he is extended the facility on zoom on every Wednesday so as to resolve their problems instantly.

Dr Sahai specializes in “Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures” (ASCM) of WTO. He had defended numerous anti-subsidy cases against Indian export products in the European Union, USA, South Africa, Brazil and Canada. He is widely travelled bringing with him ingredients of global exposure and providing critical inputs to India’s paper on the ASCM.

He was a key member of Government of India delegation to Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Denmark, Turkey and Europe on Export Facilitation which led to streamlining of exports documents & recommended EDI connectivity within a specified time frame to reduce transaction cost and time and was a member of the task force set up to review transaction cost and time headed by Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the then Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.

He is a member of High Powered Committee on Export Promotion Schemes constituted by the Department of Commerce; Member of Governing Council of the Leather Sector Skill Council; Member of the Steering Committee on National Trade Facilitation ; Member of Innovative Council of the Department of Commerce, Member of Industry Monitoring Group of RBI ; Member of Task Force on Trading of Goods in Local currencies of Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Member of Standing Advisory Committee for the Indian Institute of Packaging, Member on the Advisory Council of the Centre for International Business and Policy of BIMTECH, Member of Council for Trade Development and Promotion ,Government of India, Member of the Working Group to Review the Rules & Regulations issued under Foreign Exchange Management Act, (FEMA) 1999 of Ministry of Finance. He is expert on GST and helping the Government to streamline the same so as to make it exporters’ friendly.

As an expert on GST, he has worked on GST so as to help the Government to streamline and make it exporters’ friendly. His work was acknowledged by the Government and Exporters as well. He is also the member of the Advisory Group of Law Review Committee on GST and National Shipping Board.

He has also been conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award for Best Achiever in Export Promotion. In Nov,2022, the Central Government has nominated him as Part-time member of India International Arbitration Centre, on ex-officio basis. He has received the Gold Trophy of Institutional Game Changer Award from Shri Sushil Modi, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and the architect of GST in India. He has received appreciation from the World Bank for his contribution to Ease of Doing Business Report for 2016, 2017 and 2018.