India’s trade watch report shows rising exports and strategic mineral imports

The latest edition of Niti Aayog’s Trade Watch Quarterly, covering the April‑June 2026 period, reveals that India’s merchandise trade continued its upward trajectory. Total trade value hit $506.9 billion in the first quarter of FY 2026‑27, a 15.5 percent increase over the same period last year. Export growth was led by mineral fuels, electrical machinery, nuclear reactors, steel and automobiles, while imports surged for capital equipment, electronic components and copper, reflecting expanding industrial capacity. The report highlights a notable diversification of export destinations, with Tanzania and South Africa joining the top‑ten list and Singapore posting robust gains. On the import front, sourcing from Latin America and West Africa rose, driven by a strategy to broaden crude oil supplies. Critical mineral imports, especially copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel, more than doubled since 2015, aligning with the country’s manufacturing and clean‑energy ambitions.