Professional lobbying firms will be hired in Brussels to safeguard India's export interests, he said to counter protectionist moves.

India's permanent mission in Geneva will be strengthened to promote India's exports and even out disadvantages that crop up from time to time, the minister said. The mission will be strengthened in terms of competence, lobbying capacity and diplomatic skills to effectively handle issues arising at the World Trade Organisation which is a complex multilateral forum.

As an additional initiative the commerce ministry is setting up a group of experts to advise the government on trade issues, the minister said. The group of experts will look into anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations by the European Union on imports from India.

Co-ordinated action is necessary totackle challenges arising out of unfair anti-dumping and anti-subsidy action so as to ensure that the country's exports are not adversely affected, Hegde said. Concerted efforts were required by both government and industry for effective lobbying with the EU on individual cases to convey India's concern at growing protectionism which has adversely impacted exports from developing countries, the minister has said.

Anti-dumping investigations underway by the European Union include important export items as unbleached cotton fabrics, antibiotics, polyester filament yarn, steel wire ropes and cables, stainless steel fasteners, stainless steel bright bars and stainless steel wires, the ministry statement says.

As of now final duties were imposed on stainless steel fasteners and antibiotics while provisional duties were imposed unbleached cotton despite earlier rejection by the European Council of ministers. Provisional duties were imposed on stainless steel bright bars, despite objections by the EU AdvisoryCommittee.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has supported the setting up a of a joint panel of experts by the commerce ministry and has said that it should be enlarged to include lawyers and economists. The CII made a presentation to the ministry on how the EU is imposing anti-dumping duties on imports from India.