India's Total Exports Jump 25% in August as Trade Deficit Narrows to $9.4 Billion
Goods and services exports together reached an estimated $82.7 billion. Textile and apparel exports grew 6.4%. September's figures are due in mid-October.
India's exports had a strong August. Total exports of goods and services rose 25.41% year on year to an estimated $82.68 billion in August 2026, up from $65.93 billion a year earlier, according to official estimates released in mid-September. The overall trade deficit narrowed to $9.41 billion, from $11.62 billion in August 2025.
What the numbers mean
The trade deficit is the gap between what a country imports and what it exports. A smaller deficit means India is earning relatively more foreign exchange from its sales abroad, which supports the rupee and reduces the strain on the country's external accounts.
The figures combine merchandise (physical goods such as engineering products, petroleum products, chemicals and garments) and services (IT, business services, travel and so on). India usually runs a large deficit in goods and a surplus in services, so the overall number depends on both.
Textiles: modest growth
Within merchandise, textile and apparel exports grew 6.39% in August, according to industry reporting. That is positive but well below the overall pace, and the sector continues to face pressure in its biggest market, the United States. The government has extended the RoDTEP and RoSCTL export schemes to support exporters; read what exporters need to know.
Caution: one month is not a trend
Monthly trade numbers can swing sharply because of:
- oil prices, which change the value of both imports and petroleum exports;
- gold imports, which rise around festivals and weddings;
- one-off shipments and the timing of large orders;
- comparisons with the same month last year (the "base effect").
These are also estimates that are revised later.
What to watch next
The commerce ministry usually releases each month's data around the middle of the following month, so September's figures are due in mid-October. With the festive season approaching, watch gold and electronics imports, which tend to rise ahead of Diwali and can widen the deficit.
For another read on the economy, see September's GST collections.
Sources
This article draws on the following reporting. Dates are when each source was originally published.
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