India has a diverse export economy, shipping out products from automotive parts to gems and jewelry. Understanding the top exports provides insights into India’s strongest sectors as well as its trading relationships around the world.
In this post, we’ll explore 50 of the most valuable goods exported from India based on total export value. We’ll also break down the percentage share of total exports, look at where these products are headed, and more. Read on to better grasp what India is selling most abroad.
An Overview of India’s Exports
Let’s start with some high-level background on the exported goods contributing the highest values from India:
- Petroleum oils lead by a huge margin, comprising nearly 17% of India’s total exports. India ships these oils out largely for refining to make other oil-based products before re-importing them.
- Gems, precious metals and coins take second place with 15% total export share, speaking to India’s strengths in jewelry design and production.
- The category for vehicles and parts claims third highest share at 6.4%, signaling India’s robust automotive and components manufacturing base.
Outside the top three, important exports include pharmaceuticals, machinery, organic chemicals, clothing, iron, steel products, rice, and more.
Now let’s jump into the full breakdown of the top 50 Indian export products and their key details:
Top 50 Products Exported from India
| Sr | Product Name | Total Export Share % | Total Export Value | Top Export Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Oils | 16.96% | $54.2 billion | United States, China |
| 2 | Gems, precious metals, coins | 15.05% | $48 billion | United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong |
| 3 | Vehicles | 6.4% | $20.4 billion | Mexico, South Africa, Nigeria |
| 4 | Pharmaceutical products | 5.3% | $16.9 billion | United States, South Africa |
| 5 | Machinery including computers | 3.6% | $11.5 billion | United States, Germany |
| 6 | Organic chemicals | 3.1% | $9.8 billion | China, United States |
| 7 | Clothing, accessories (not knit) | 2.8% | $8.9 billion | United States, United Kingdom |
| 8 | Iron and steel products | 2.7% | $8.5 billion | China, Germany |
| 9 | Rice | 2.2% | $7 billion | Saudi Arabia, Iran |
| 10 | Aluminum and products | 1.6% | $5 billion | China, Japan |
| 11 | Knit clothing and accessories | 1.5% | $4.8 billion | United States, United Kingdom |
| 12 | Cereals | 1.5% | $4.8 billion | Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates |
| 13 | Cotton | 1.3% | $4 billion | Bangladesh, China |
| 14 | Carpets, textile floor coverings | 1.2% | $3.9 billion | United States, Germany |
| 15 | Tobacco products | 1% | $3.2 billion | Netherlands, Belgium |
| 16 | Inorganic chemicals | 0.9% | $2.8 billion | Indonesia, United States |
| 17 | Fish and crustaceans | 0.9% | $2.7 billion | China, Japan |
| 18 | Leather handbags, suitcases | 0.8% | $2.6 billion | Germany, United States |
| 19 | Coffee, tea, and spices | 0.8% | $2.5 billion | United Arab Emirates, United States |
| 20 | Yarn, fabrics | 0.8% | $2.5 billion | Egypt, United States |
| 21 | Ships, boats | 0.8% | $2.4 billion | United Arab Emirates, Netherlands |
| 22 | Plastics and plastic products | 0.7% | $2.3 billion | Nepal, United States |
| 23 | Meat and edible meat offal | 0.7% | $2.1 billion | Vietnam, Malaysia |
| 24 | Albuminoids, modified starches | 0.6% | $1.8 billion | Bangladesh, Indonesia |
| 25 | Ceramic products | 0.6% | $1.8 billion | Nepal, Sri Lanka |
| 26 | Railway vehicles and equipment | 0.6% | $1.7 billion | Bangladesh, Germany |
| 27 | Articles of iron or steel | 0.5% | $1.7 billion | United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka |
| 28 | Electrical machinery | 0.5% | $1.7 billion | United States, United Arab Emirates |
| 29 | Furniture, lighting, signs | 0.5% | $1.5 billion | United States, Germany |
| 30 | Oil seeds | 0.5% | $1.5 billion | Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates |
| 31 | Soaps, lubricants, waxes | 0.5% | $1.5 billion | Indonesia, United Arab Emirates |
| 32 | Fruit and vegetable juices | 0.4% | $1.4 billion | United States, Netherlands |
| 33 | Dairy products, eggs, and honey | 0.4% | $1.4 billion | Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates |
| 34 | Salt, sulfur, earth, stone | 0.4% | $1.4 billion | Indonesia, United States |
| 35 | Printed books, newspapers, pictures | 0.4% | $1.3 billion | United Kingdom, United States |
| 36 | Sugars and sugar products | 0.4% | $1.3 billion | Somalia, Sudan |
| 37 | Zinc and products | 0.4% | $1.2 billion | Korea, Taiwan |
| 38 | Shoes and footwear | 0.4% | $1.2 billion | Germany, United Kingdom |
| 39 | Tools, cutlery | 0.4% | $1.1 billion | United States, United Kingdom |
| 40 | Rubber and products | 0.3% | $1 billion | Germany, United States |
| 41 | Wood products | 0.3% | $986 million | United States, China |
| 42 | Manmade textile staple fibers | 0.3% | $922 million | Yemen, Vietnam |
| 43 | Edible vegetables and roots | 0.3% | $916 million | Bangladesh, Malaysia |
| 44 | Milling products | 0.3% | $911 million | Venezuela, Yemen |
| 45 | Apparel articles and accessories | 0.3% | $907 million | Germany, United Kingdom |
| 46 | Cocoa and products | 0.3% | $868 million | Malaysia, Netherlands |
| 47 | Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 0.3% | $846 million | United Arab Emirates, Nepal |
| 48 | Leather products | 0.2% | $792 million | Germany, Italy |
| 49 | Mineral fuels including oil | 0.2% | $690 million | Singapore, Japan |
| 50 | Malt liquors and malt | 0.2% | $587 million | Nigeria, Angola |
Conclusion
This breakdown highlights many of India’s key exports, ranging from mineral fuels and petroleum oils to gems, medicines, machinery, textiles and beyond. Clothing, metals, chemicals, transportation equipment, and food products also play major export roles.
The leading trade partners illustrated make sense as well, showing major shipments to India’s borders like Bangladesh and Nepal as well as top global economies and regions like China, the US, EU, and Middle East.
Though the products and percentages will evolve over time, analyzing export flows like these sheds light on the backbone of economies like India. It also surfaces opportunities where sectors demonstrating global competitiveness can further excel.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this post on Indian exports. Please let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!
