NEW DELHI, February 16 (ANI): India’s overall exports, including merchandise and services, increased 13.16 percent year over year to USD 80.45 billion in January 2026, compared with USD 71.09 billion in January 2025, according to data released by the Commerce Ministry on Monday.
Overall imports during the month grew at a faster pace of 18.77 percent, rising to USD 90.83 billion from USD 76.48 billion in January 2025, the ministry data showed.
As a result, India’s overall trade deficit, including merchandise and services, widened significantly to USD 10.38 billion in January 2026, nearly doubling from USD 5.39 billion in the corresponding month last year.
In January, both merchandise and services exports and imports increased. Merchandise exports rose from USD 36.34 billion to USD 36.56 billion, while services exports climbed from USD 34.75 billion to USD 43.90 billion.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that for the first 10 months of the fiscal year (April–January), the cumulative value of overall exports, including merchandise and services, is estimated at USD 720.76 billion, compared with USD 679 billion in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. This represents an estimated growth of 6.15 percent, an increase of approximately USD 40 billion.
“This year we expect to cross USD 860 billion in total exports of merchandise and services. In services, we expect to cross USD 410 billion this year (2025–2026),” Agrawal said.
India’s total exports reached an all-time high of USD 824.9 billion in financial year 2024–25. This marked annual growth of 6.01 percent over USD 778.1 billion in exports in 2023–24, setting a new annual milestone. The 2024–25 exports exceeded the initial expectation of USD 800 billion.
India’s overall imports, including merchandise and services, during April–January 2025–26 increased 6.54 percent year over year to USD 823.41 billion, compared with USD 772.85 billion in the corresponding period of 2024–25, according to the data.
Merchandise imports during the April–January period stood at USD 649.86 billion in 2025–26, up 7.21 percent from USD 606.13 billion recorded in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Services imports grew at a more moderate pace of 4.10 percent, rising to USD 173.55 billion from USD 166.72 billion in April–January 2024–25. (ANI)
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