New Delhi, Feb 16 (TNT): India’s export sector maintained steady momentum in the first ten months of FY26, with overall exports rising 6.15% year-on-year to USD 720.76 billion, compared to USD 679.02 billion in the corresponding period last fiscal, according to the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).
Merchandise exports increased 2.20% to USD 366.63 billion from USD 358.75 billion in April–January FY25, while January 2026 exports alone climbed sharply to USD 80.45 billion from USD 71.09 billion a year ago, signaling a pickup in external demand, the Federation said in a release here.
Commenting on the data, FIEO President S C Ralhan, described the growth as a “positive and reassuring indicator” of the competitiveness of Indian industry despite ongoing global uncertainties.
From a business perspective, the recently concluded Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the European Union and the United States are expected to significantly enhance India’s export competitiveness.
With the United States remaining India’s top export destination and Europe a key high-value market, the agreements are set to: Improve tariff competitiveness ; Expand market access across sectors ;Provide greater regulatory certainty and Strengthen integration into global value chains.
Industry stakeholders believe timely implementation and sectoral preparedness could accelerate export growth over the medium term.
Key export segments expected to benefit from the FTAs include: Engineering goods, Pharmaceuticals ; Textiles and garments ; Leather products ; Gems and jewellery and Agriculture and marine products.
The continued performance of engineering goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and agriculture underlines the diversification of India’s export basket and a shift toward higher value-added manufacturing.
On the import side, overall imports rose 6.54% to USD 823.41 billion during April–January FY26, compared to USD 772.85 billion last year. Merchandise imports increased 7.21% to USD 649.86 billion.
January 2026 imports stood at USD 90.83 billion, resulting in a monthly trade deficit of USD 10.45 billion.
Mr. Ralhan noted that higher imports of petroleum, electronic goods, machinery and industrial raw materials reflect robust domestic demand and ongoing capacity expansion, suggesting that the import growth is partly investment-led rather than consumption-driven.
Major export destinations during the period included the United States, United Arab Emirates, China, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Italy. On the import side, leading sources were China, United Arab Emirates, Russia, United States, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.
FIEO expressed confidence that sustained policy support, enhanced market access under the new FTAs and resilient industry performance will help India maintain export momentum and reinforce its position as a reliable global trade partner.
TNT KS
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