India’s Exports Surge Across Key Markets
Africa and ASEAN lead regional growth as Indian merchandise exports expand across destinations and selected industrial product categories.
India’s merchandise exports recorded strong growth across major international markets during April-August of FY27, with Africa, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and North-East Asia emerging as key growth regions, according to Commerce Ministry data reported by The Economic Times.
Exports to Africa rose 47% to $26.19 billion during the five-month period, compared with $17.83 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier. Africa’s share of India’s total exports increased to 12.2% from 9.7%, indicating a larger contribution from the region to India’s export performance.
Within Africa, exports to East Africa nearly doubled, rising 94% to $8.95 billion. Shipments to the Southern African Customs Union increased 53% to $5.09 billion, while exports to North Africa grew 33% to $4.03 billion. West Africa recorded more moderate growth of 7% to $5.57 billion.
Exports to ASEAN climbed 56% to $23.08 billion, while shipments to North-East Asia increased 37% to $21.03 billion. Exports to South Asia and other European countries also rose 24% during April-August, reflecting broader growth across several trading regions.
The data also highlighted strong performance in selected manufactured products. Exports of light-duty trucks increased 71%, while medium-duty truck shipments grew 67%. Optical fibre and cable exports surged 158% to $483 million, and exports of electrical control boards nearly doubled to $303 million. Demand from markets including the United States, China, Singapore and Poland supported growth in these product categories.
Exports to West Asia, which had been affected by the US-Iran war, showed signs of recovery. Shipments to the region increased from $4.2 billion in April to $5.01 billion in August, although they remained below the $6.48 billion recorded in January.
Overall, India’s merchandise exports rose 18.51% to $259.89 billion during April-September FY27, compared with $219.30 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year. The figures point to stronger export activity across multiple regions, while continued growth will depend on overseas demand, market conditions and the performance of key industries.