India’s total exports of merchandise and services touched USD 69.16 billion in August 2025, marking a 9.34 percent increase over the same month last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Merchandise exports rose to USD 35.10 billion in August, compared to USD 32.89 billion a year earlier. Growth was driven by electronic goods, engineering goods, gems & jewellery, petroleum products, and drugs & pharmaceuticals. Exports of drugs and pharmaceuticals climbed 6.94 percent from USD 2.35 billion in August 2024 to USD 2.51 billion in August 2025. 

Cumulatively, exports in the April–August 2025 period were estimated at USD 349.35 billion, up 6.18 percent year-on-year. Merchandise exports during the five months stood at USD 184.13 billion, compared to USD 179.60 billion in the same period last year. Drugs and Pharmaceuticals exports grew by 7.26 percent to reach USD 12.76 billion in April–August 2025, compared to USD 11.89 billion during April–August 2024. 

The top export destinations in August included the UAE (23.42 percent growth), USA (7.15 percent), Netherlands (17.87 percent), Hong Kong (62.46 percent) and China (22.38 percent). For April–August, the USA, China, UAE, Hong Kong, and Germany were the largest contributors to export growth.

On the imports front, India recorded USD 79.04 billion worth of total imports (goods and services) in August 2025, a seven percent decline from August 2024. Merchandise imports fell to USD 61.59 billion, compared to USD 68.53 billion last year.

Imports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products rose to USD 780.70 million in August 2025, an increase of 1.26 percent from USD 770.95 million in August.

For April–August 2025, imports stood at USD 390.78 billion, a 2.49 percent rise year-on-year, with merchandise imports at USD 306.52 billion versus USD 300.12 billion in the same period of 2024. The merchandise trade deficit widened slightly to USD 122.39 billion, from USD 120.52 billion last year.

For the April–August period, imports of medicinal and pharmaceutical products grew from USD 3.68 billion in 2024 to USD 3.88 billion in 2025, marking a 5.39 percent rise.

Key import sources in August included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Iraq and Qatar. Between April–August, imports from China, Ireland, UAE, Hong Kong, and the USA posted strong growth.