This study investigates the role of export–import business in shaping global trade dynamics, with a dual focus on macro-level industry analysis and micro-level organizational examination. It aims to assess the awareness levels, perceptions, and entrepreneurial intent of individuals with respect to international trade, while situating India\\\'s export–import sector within the broader theoretical and empirical landscape of global commerce.Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopts a descriptive and analytical research design, combining primary and secondary data sources. Primary data was gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to 70 respondents using Google Forms and non-probability convenience sampling. Secondary data was drawn from seminal trade theories, institutional reports from the World Trade Organization, World Bank, IMF, UNCTAD, Ministry of Commerce (India), and peer-reviewed academic literature. Data was analyzed using percentage analysis, tabular presentation, and comparative interpretation. Findings: Empirical results indicate high awareness (80%) of export–import business and strong endorsement (84.3%) of its economic importance. Globalization is positively perceived by 71% of respondents as a driver of international trade. Government policy support is acknowledged by 67% of respondents, though a knowledge, action gap persists, with only 52.9% expressing entrepreneurial intent. Agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and textiles are identified as India\\\'s perceived export strengths, and 54.3% believe India has potential to become a global trade leader. Research Limitations/Implications: The study is constrained by a relatively small convenience sample (n=70), which limits generalizability. Additionally, self reported data may introduce response bias. Future research should employ stratified probability sampling across diverse demographic groups and incorporate econometric modeling for causal inference. Practical Implications: Findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced policy literacy programs, digital trade infrastructure investment, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development. Practitioners and policymakers should prioritize simplifying regulatory frameworks, expanding trade facilitation services, and improving awareness of government export incentives to bridge the knowledge, action gap. Originality/Value: This study makes an original contribution by integrating classical and contemporary trade theory with empirical survey data in the Indian context, offering a holistic analysis of both industry dynamics and organizational functioning. The multi-theory lens spanning absolute advantage to the OLI framework provides a comprehensive analytical scaffold rarely employed in similar empirical studies.
Makrani et al. (Thu,) studied this question.