India export engine gains pace and breadth
India overseas shipments are running hot. Combined goods and services exports reached an estimated 476.20 billion US dollars in the first half of fiscal 2026-27, up 13.84% from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The mix is shifting too: merchandise out front, services steady behind, and the base widening beyond petroleum. The 1 trillion US dollar export goal for the year looks less far away than it did.
Two engines, one direction
Goods and services are pulling together. Merchandise exports hit 259.89 billion US dollars in the half, up 18.51%, while services exports reached 216.31 billion US dollars, up 8.69%. Behind the totals, the movement is in electronics, engineering goods and farm products rather than a single commodity. That spread is what gives the surge its durability. A broader base means one weak market or one soft price cannot sink the whole year.
📊 Key figures
H1 FY27 total exports: 476.20 billion US dollars (+13.84%)
Merchandise exports H1: 259.89 billion US dollars (+18.51%)
Services exports H1: 216.31 billion US dollars (+8.69%)
Non-petroleum exports H1: 218.70 billion US dollars (+15.56%)
September 2026 total exports: 80.75 billion US dollars (+10.99%)
What drove the jump
September alone tells the story. Electronic goods exports surged 70.44% to 5.31 billion US dollars, engineering goods rose 20.91% to 12.17 billion US dollars, and petroleum products climbed 31.90% to 6.22 billion US dollars. Cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups and handloom products gained 20.76%, while meat, dairy and other cereals posted sharp double-digit gains. The point is breadth: many categories moved at once, not one winner carrying the rest.
| Metric | H1 FY27 | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Total exports | 476.20 billion US dollars, +13.84% | Accelerating |
| Merchandise | 259.89 billion US dollars, +18.51% | Leading |
| Services | 216.31 billion US dollars, +8.69% | Cushion |
| Non-petroleum | 218.70 billion US dollars, +15.56% | Broadening |
Services exports held a 102.71 billion US dollar surplus for the half, cushioning the merchandise gap and giving the overall balance room to breathe. -- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India trade data, October 2026
💡 Where the opening is
Track the fast lanes: electronics and engineering goods are the standout movers; watch where that capacity sells and who buys.
Read the breadth: a surge across many categories beats a one-commodity spike; compare sectors to find the steady ones.
Separate goods from services: the services surplus offsets the merchandise gap, so read the two lanes on their own terms.
Compare by market: which destination grows which product is queryable by category and country on Big Trade Data（GTD）.
India export story is no longer about one crop or one price. Goods and services are climbing together, the base is broadening, and the 1 trillion US dollar target is in sight. Big Trade Data（GTD） covers 200-plus countries and regions, helping you see which Indian lane is heating up before the rest of the market does. Check the data now, not when the window has closed.