Exports are one of India’s strongest economic pillars. Every year, the country ships billions of dollars worth of goods across the globe, with most shipments routed through some of the busiest seaports. From engineering goods and pharmaceuticals to textiles and refined petroleum, India’s export sector is vast and diverse.
The export from India helps us understand trade patterns, investment interests, and future growth opportunities. For policymakers, investors, and businesses, it’s a direct reflection of the sectors shaping the country’s global involvement, beyond just the export trade volume.
In this post, we’ll discuss the top 10 largest export categories by their value and how they continue to hold India’s export landscape steady and thriving.
| Rank | Largest export category | Financial value (in $ billion) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral fuels, oils, and distillation products | 74.27 |
| 2 | Electrical, electronic equipment | 39.36 |
| 3 | Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers | 32.01 |
| 4 | Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins | 29.25 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical products | 22.98 |
| 6 | Vehicles other than railway, tramway | 21.75 |
| 7 | Organic chemicals | 20.69 |
| 8 | Cereals | 11.93 |
| 9 | Iron and steel | 10.18 |
| 10 | Articles of iron or steel | 9.93 |
Source | Exports from India saw a major growth in the last decade
Merchandise - among the most exported products - reached a $437 billion valuation, supported by a stronger production base and rising demand for electronics, engineering goods, and textiles.
Meanwhile, services exports also touched $341 billion, mainly led by IT, business, and financial services.
As the third-largest country in pharmaceutical and drug production, these were also the most exported products, with valuation growing from $15.07 billion in 2013-14 to almost $28 billion in 2023-24.
Agricultural exports also doubled since 2013-14, growing from $22+ billion to $48 billion in 2023-24.
This upward trend highlights India"s growing influence in key global trade segments and sets the context for identifying the largest export categories by value.
Improved product quality: With stricter quality control processes and better compliance, export products from India meet global standards more consistently, to retain buyer confidence.
Tech-driven manufacturing: Automation, AI, and digitised workflows have made production faster and more efficient, especially in categories like electronics, textiles, and pharmaceuticals, many of which rank in the list of top 10 product exports.
Wider global access: Trade agreements and improved logistics have opened doors to new global markets, helping India diversify its export products.
Along with the UK, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Germany, and Italy, these 10 countries made up a total of 51 percent of the total exports from India.
First Published: Aug 11, 2025, 18:09
Subscribe Now