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India’s merchandise exports grew 9% to $38.49 billion in April 2025, while imports outpaced this considerably by growing 19.1% to $64.91 billion.
| Photo Credit: K.K. Mustafah
India’s merchandise trade started the financial year on a relatively poor footing, with the trade deficit in goods widening to $26.4 billion in April this year, as compared with $19.19 billion last year.
This was mitigated somewhat by the stronger showing in services trade, the data for which is an estimation since the Reserve Bank of India’s final data comes with a lag. India’s services trade surplus widened to $17.77 billion in April, as compared to $13.42 billion.
However, despite the service sector’s stronger showing, India’s total trade deficit, counting both merchandise and services, widened to $8.65 billion, compared with $5.77 billion in April last year.
While briefing the media, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal also highlighted the export performance in 2024-25, showing that India’s total exports that year stood at $824.9 billion, the highest-ever, and up 6% over 2023-24.
India’s merchandise exports grew 9% to $38.49 billion in April 2025, while imports outpaced this considerably by growing 19.1% to $64.91 billion.
Services exports for April grew 17% in April 2025 to $35.31 billion while imports grew just 4.6% to $17.54 billion.
The sectors that saw the strongest growth in exports included tobacco (66.43%), coffee (47.85%), electronic goods (39.51%), mica, coal & other ores and minerals (34.43%), fruits & vegetables (30.72%), marine products (17.81%), and tea (15.93%).
On the import side, chemicals (115.76%), silver (35.45%), electronic goods (31.19%), and petroleum (25.60%) grew strongly.
“The increase in imports, particularly of capital goods and energy inputs, reflects improving domestic demand and capacity expansion,” S.C. Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said, in reaction to the data.
Published – May 15, 2025 08:34 pm IST
