The most valuable Indian exports also include medicines, milled rice, cars, lobster, auto parts or accessories and frozen beef.
The following list shows which Indian exports pulled in the most money during 2017. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
More specific details on export sales can help entrepreneurs identify precisely which products in which India has strong competitive advantages over other nations, also focus on lucrative opportunities for innovation.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the Searchable List of India’s Most Valuable Exports Products section in the India’s Top 10 Exports article. For a link to that article, see the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Indian Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products shipped from India in 2017. Shown within brackets is the increase in value from 2016 to 2017 for each item.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$34.9 billion (up 29.4% since 2016)
- Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $24.7 billion (up 2.6%)
- Jewelry: $12.8 billion (up 1.8%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $11.5 billion (down -0.6%)
- Rice: $7.1 billion (up 33.2%)
- Cars: $6.6 billion (up 3.6%)
- Crustaceans (including lobsters): $4.8 billion (up 32.6%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $4.4 billion (up 10.5%)
- Frozen beef: $3.9 billion (up 7%)
- Light vessels, fire boats, floating docks: $3.4 billion (up 83%)
- Yarn (85%+ cotton): $3.4 billion (up 7%)
- T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $2.7 billion (down -1.7%)
- Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products: $2.7 billion (up 231.8%)
- Aluminum (unwrought): $2.5 billion (up 52.2%)
- Refined copper, unwrought alloys: $2.5 billion (up 64%)
- Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides: $2.4 billion (up 18%)
- Women’s clothing (not knit or crochet): $2.4 billion (down -2%)
- Cyclic hydrocarbons: $2.3 billion (up 102%)
- Gold (unwrought): $2.2 billion (down -48.1%)
- Iron ferroalloys: $2.2 billion (up 93.7%)
Among these product categories, India’s hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products posted an increase up 231.8% from 2016 to 2017. Shipments of cyclic hydrocarbons rose in value by 102%, trailed by iron ferroalloys up 93.7%.
In fourth place was the light vessels, fire boats and floating docks subcategory, which appreciated 83%. India’s exports of refined copper and unwrought increased in value by 64% trailed by the 52.2% improvement for aluminum shipments.
India’s automobile parts and accessories showed an export sales gain of 244.4%.
For all Indian export products, there was an average increase of 13.6% from 2016 to 2017.
The greatest year-over-year decline was -48.1% for gold.
See also India’s Top 10 Exports, India’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, India’s Top 10 Imports, India’s Top Trading Partners and Top Indian Trade Balances
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 27, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on March 27, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on March 27, 2018