News

India's merchandise exports rose 19.63% year-on-year in July 2026, touching a record $44.24 billion for the month. This is the highest-ever July export figure, surpassing the previous high of $38.34 billion recorded in July 2022. The growth came even as India's overall trade deficit widened to $15.03 billion, since imports grew faster than exports. The Commerce Ministry credited part of the momentum to a deliberate push to diversify India's export markets and reduce reliance on any single trading partner.

Updates

  • Merchandise Exports (July 2026): $44.24 billion, up 19.63% from $36.98 billion in July 2025.
  • Merchandise Imports (July 2026): $76.22 billion, up 17.52% year-on-year.
  • Cumulative Goods Exports (April–July 2026-27): $173.78 billion, up 17.04%; combined goods and services exports stood at $316.42 billion, up 13.16%.
  • Growth Drivers: Petroleum products (up 67.64%), electronic goods (up 57.4%), and engineering goods (up 17.71%) led the growth, along with chemicals and textiles.

About the Export Promotion Mission (EPM)

The Export Promotion Mission, approved by the Cabinet on 12 November 2025 with a ₹25,060 crore outlay, is the government's umbrella scheme to widen and de-risk India's export base. It runs through two components: NIRYAT PROTSAHAN, which gives MSMEs affordable trade finance, and NIRYAT DISHA, which supports export quality, compliance, and branding. The scheme targets labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, and marine products, and complements trade agreements like the UK CETA and the Oman CEPA in reducing India's dependence on any single export market.