New Delhi - Despite continued trade disruptions in West Asia, India’s merchandise exports started the new fiscal year on a strong note, rising 13.79 per cent year-on-year to $43.56 billion in April. This was propelled by strong performance in engineering goods, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

According to the Commerce Department’s quick estimates, imports grew 10 per cent to $71.94 billion, driven by an 81.69 per cent surge in gold imports to $5.62 billion. The merchandise trade deficit widened to $28.38 billion, up from $20.67 billion in March 2026 . . .