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India's external sector has demonstrated steady resilience in the current financial year, with cumulative exports touching USD 720.76 billion during April-January 2025-26, marking a 6.15 per cent growth over USD 679.02 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year, according to a report by PIB Headquarters.
Trade data underscores India's ability to navigate a challenging global trade environment marked by economic policy uncertainties and shifting supply chains. The growth reflects strength across both merchandise and services exports. Services exports continue to be a key driver of growth. During April-January 2025-26, services exports stood at USD 354.13 billion, up 10.57 per cent from USD 320.28 billion a year earlier. In 2024-25, services exports had already reached an all-time high of USD 387.5 billion, with a trade surplus of USD 188.8 billion, reinforcing India's position as a global hub for technology, business, and professional services. On the merchandise side, broad-based growth has been recorded across sectors. Electronics exports have climbed rapidly, emerging as one of the fastest-growing categories. Pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, petroleum products, textiles, and automobiles have also contributed significantly to export performance Notably, defence exports reached a record Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25, reflecting India's expanding footprint in high-value manufacturing. India's export resilience is further supported by diversification across products and markets. According to UNCTAD trade diversity indices, India ranked among the top five Global South economies in product diversification and among the top three in trade partnership diversity. Over the past three years, India has concluded nine free trade agreements covering 38 countries, expanding access to nearly 70 per cent of global GDP. With continued emphasis on strengthening domestic manufacturing, enhancing trade finance, and expanding global partnerships, India appears well-positioned to sustain export momentum in the months ahead. In the post-pandemic period, India has emerged as a fast-growing major economy, leveraging domestic strengths to navigate global uncertainties. The Economic Survey 2025-26 notes that India's growth rates are "the envy of the world," backed by a healthy banking system, credit intermediation, ample foreign reserves and a comfortable current account balance. (ANI)
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