New Delhi: The country’s merchandise exports appreciated by 0.61 per cent to USD 36.56 billion in January 2026, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal informed on Monday. Imports jumped by 19.2 per cent to USD 71.24 billion in January as compared to USD 59.77 billion recorded a year ago. The trade deficit was recorded at USD 34.68 billion during the month under review.
With an uptick in country’s exports, the Commerce Secretary said that the country’s exports “remain northwards” both in goods and services. He further projected exports of goods and services to cross USD 860 billion in 2025-26.
During the April-January period, exports went up 2.22 per cent to USD 366.63 billion.
India’s Growing Share in Global Trade
The Economic Survey introduced in Parliament in January, commended country’s steady rise as a key player in global trade as there was an increase in share of both global merchandise exports and commercial services exports.
“According to the WTO’s World Trade Statistics, between 2005 and 2024, India’s share of global merchandise exports has nearly doubled, rising from 1 per cent to 1.8 per cent; similarly, its share in global commercial services exports has more than doubled, rising from 2 per cent to 4.3 per cent,” the Survey mentioned.
In FY25, India’s merchandise exports totalled USD 437.7 billion. Notably, the Non-petroleum exports recorded a high of USD 374.3 billion.
Agricultural exports increased from USD 34.5 billion in FY20 to USD 51.1 billion in FY25.
Services exports touched an all-time high of USD 387.6 billion in FY25, growing by 13.6 per cent.
“India has not only increased its share in global trade but has also diversified its partnerships and the range of products it trades. According to UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2025, India ranked among the leading economies in trade partner diversification, ranking third in the Global South and recording a trade diversity score higher than all Global North economies. In terms of the merchandise trade diversity indicator, India ranks fourth in the Global South, following Thailand, China and Turkey, with an index score of 0.88,” the official release mentioned.
With PTI and PIB inputs