India Export Trends 2025: Growth Insights and Market Forecasts
1. Overview: India’s Export Performance in 2025
India’s total exports, including merchandise and services, have surged significantly in 2025. For the April–September 2025 period, exports reached approximately USD 413.3 billion, marking a 4.45% year-on-year rise compared to the same period last year. The government remains focused on achieving the ambitious target of USD 1 trillion in annual exports by FY26, and over one-third of this target has been accomplished within the first five months of the year.
2. Key Export Growth Drivers
Several product categories have shown extraordinary momentum:
- Electronic Goods: Export of electronics jumped by over 40% in early 2025, thanks to government initiatives like Make in India and the PLI scheme. Major export destinations for electronics include the USA, UAE, China, and the UK.
- Engineering Goods: Remained steady with a nearly 3% rise, forming a vital chunk of non-petroleum exports.
- Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals: Continued their upward trajectory, driven by global demand for quality generics and speciality chemicals.
- Agriculture and Food Products: Items such as rice (up 33%), tea (up 20%), meat, dairy, and marine products are also leading export growth, benefiting from market diversification and rising Asian demand.
- Petroleum Products: Registered a 15% growth, reinforcing India’s refining and re-exporting capability.
3. Top Export Markets and Emerging Destinations
India’s export landscape is experiencing geographic diversification:
- Hong Kong, China, and the UAE are the fastest-growing markets, each with over 20% year-on-year growth for Indian exports in 2025.
- Western Europe and the USA remain steadfast markets, especially for electronics, engineering goods, and apparel.
- New African, CIS, and Latin American markets are being actively tapped through fresh trade agreements and logistic corridors.
4. Government Reforms and Policy Support
Multiple policy interventions have made Indian goods more competitive:
- Foreign Trade Policy 2023 introduced digital documentation, simplified compliance, and increased access to export finance.
- Districts as Export Hubs: Local clusters are now empowered with export infrastructure and support services.
- Reforms in GST, SEZ expansion, and quick trade dispute resolution have played a key role in boosting exporter morale and reducing costs.
5. Market Forecast for the Remainder of 2025
The Indian export sector is projected to maintain its growth momentum due to:
- Buoyant global demand for electronics, pharmaceuticals, and processed food.
- Continued government focus on logistics, port capacity, customs modernisation, and trade facilitation.
- Export diversification, both in product and market, safeguards exporters from sector-specific or regional slowdowns.
IMF and governmental sources forecast India’s overall economic growth at over 6.5% for FY26, which will further reinforce export expansion.
6. Practical Insights for New Exporters
- Choose high-growth product segments (e.g., electronics, pharma, speciality food).
- Target emerging and traditional markets alike using e-commerce and digital platforms.
- Leverage government schemes (PLI, Districts as Export Hubs, RoDTEP).
- Keep updated on the latest certification norms and global compliance standards.
- Consider consolidation and multi-modal logistics to reach global buyers efficiently.
India’s export ecosystem is evolving rapidly, presenting abundant opportunities for new entrepreneurs and trained professionals to participate in the global trade story. Staying updated with trends, policies, and international demand will be pivotal to sustained business success in this sector.