India's exports to FTA partner countries record robust growth in Q1FY27: Commerce ministry
The commerce ministry data has showed that India's exports to key free trade agreement (FTA) partner countries recorded robust growth in the first quarter of 2026-27 (Q1FY27), with shipments to Singapore and Sri Lanka more than doubling. India has signed 17 FTAs with various countries and trade blocs, including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Mauritius, the UAE, Australia, the European Union, ASEAN and the EFTA bloc, of which 16 are currently operational.
The data showed that exports to Singapore surged 101.2 per cent year-on-year to $6.52 billion during April-June 2026, compared with $3.24 billion in the corresponding period last year. During the same period, shipments to Sri Lanka rose 123.8 per cent to $2.35 billion from $1.05 billion. Exports to the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) region increased 61.6 per cent to $14.61 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal, from $9.04 billion a year earlier, while shipments to the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) region also grew 36.6 per cent to $8.40 billion from $6.15 billion.
Among individual FTA partner countries, exports to Malaysia jumped 75.2 per cent to $2.54 billion, while shipments to Australia rose 25.2 per cent to $2.68 billion during Q1FY27. Exports to the UK increased 11.1 per cent to $3.69 billion in Q1FY27 from $3.32 billion in the year-ago period. The India-UK trade agreement was operationalised on July 15, 2026. During the period, shipments to South Korea grew 22.6 per cent to $1.95 billion, while exports to Japan increased 22.4 per cent to $1.75 billion. Exports to Oman rose 26.4 per cent to $1.39 billion, while shipments to Nepal increased 18.1 per cent to $2.28 billion. Exports to Bhutan and Thailand grew 16.1 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, reaching $360 million and $1.23 billion.
The data indicates that across key FTA partner countries, India's exports are growing robustly. The sharp increase in the shipments contributed significantly to the overall momentum in exports during the quarter. Overall, India’s exports rose 15.92 per cent year-on-year to $129.32 billion during April-June 2026.
