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The Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal (BUVM) held its 45th Foundation Day National Traders’ Conference and Bhamashah Felicitation Ceremony at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on August 9. Around 1,000 trader representatives from 24 states and two Union Territories attended the event, which was presided over by BUVM national president Babulal Gupta. Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, who attended as chief guest, said stronger trade and business activity was necessary to support India's economic expansion and assured traders that their concerns relating to GST, online trade and other business matters would be considered. The conference discussed measures covering e-commerce, MSMEs, local trade, mandi taxation, GST and FSSAI regulations, besides proposing an expansion of the local-products initiative from 500 to 1,000 districts. BUVM also announced a national trade conference for January 2027.
The Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal (BUVM) organised its 45th Foundation Day National Traders’ Conference and Bhamashah Felicitation Ceremony at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi on August 9, bringing together around 1,000 trader representatives from 24 states and two Union Territories. The event focused on policy issues affecting traders, measures to strengthen local commerce and proposals relating to GST, e-commerce, MSMEs and market regulations.
The conference was presided over by BUVM national president Babulal Gupta of Rajasthan and conducted by national senior general secretary Mukund Mishra of Uttar Pradesh. Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal attended as chief guest. He said the development of a stronger Indian economy required greater emphasis on trade and business and assured representatives that the government would consider measures concerning GST, online trade and other issues affecting the business community.
Durg Lok Sabha MP Vijay Baghel, Rajya Sabha MP Sadhna Singh, former MP and senior vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vyapar Mandal Bhairav Prasad Mishra, along with public representatives and trade leaders from several states, attended the programme.
One of the conference's proposals was to increase the coverage target for promoting local products, local trade and local tourism from 500 to 1,000 districts. Gupta said strengthening local production, commerce and tourism could support employment and economic activity at the district level while helping traditional village-based skills and crafts access wider markets under the ‘Local for Global’ approach.
Delegates also discussed the need for a defined regulatory framework for online trade, protection for small and traditional traders, and measures to address competition faced by conventional businesses from e-commerce platforms and malls. Strengthening MSMEs, promoting ‘Investment in the District, for the District’ and creating trader assistance groups in every district were also among the issues raised.
The conference considered several taxation and regulatory demands. These included a One Nation–One Mandi Tax, limiting mandi cess to 0.50%, an amnesty mechanism for GST and legacy VAT cases, relief from GST on rented shops and houses, lower interest on delayed GST payments and simplification of FSSAI regulations. The organisation decided to submit detailed proposals covering these matters to the Central Government.
Speakers also recalled the contribution of late Shyam Bihari Mishra, founder of BUVM, a four-time Member of Parliament and a prominent figure in the traders’ movement. They said Mishra had initiated efforts to organise traders and protect their interests around 45 years ago, with the organisation subsequently expanding into a national body with state, district and city-level units.
Gupta congratulated the organisation's state units for conducting traders’ conferences and training programmes across the country and described BUVM as a national platform representing traders from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He also acknowledged the Delhi Pradesh team for organising the foundation day programme and thanked the Federation of All India Food Grain Dealers Association for supporting the event as a partner organisation.
The programme concluded with Gupta announcing a ‘Local to Global National Trade Conference’ at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi in January 2027. The proposed conference will focus on youth entrepreneurship, local trade, local production, local tourism and the ‘One City–One Product’ initiative.
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