India’s import dependence continues to be shaped by economic growth, manufacturing base: Govt to Parl

India’s import dependence continues to be shaped by the country's rapid economic growth, industrialization, urbanization, expanding manufacturing base, and deeper integration with global value chains, the government informed Rajya Sabha Friday, in response to a question on imports from China.

Imports from China were $131.63 billion in FY26 and accounted for nearly 17 % of the country’s total merchandise imports.

The government said imports from China include critical inputs such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, rare earth elements and copper, which are essential for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, electronics and semiconductor manufacturing.


Imports of intermediate goods, capital equipment and advanced technologies also support key sectors, including pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, energy, advanced manufacturing and infrastructure development.

FTA route trade

During April-June FY27, merchandise exports to free trade agreement (FTA) partner countries rose 25% to $43.14 billion from $34.65 billion in the same period a year ago. The growth was faster than overall merchandise exports, which grew 16% in the first quarter of FY27 and the number of Certificates of Origin issued under trade agreements more than doubled over five years.

The share of FTA partner countries in India’s total exports increased to 33.4% in April-June of FY27 from 31.1% in the corresponding period of FY26.

The number of Certificates of Origin issued to exporters more than doubled to over 7.8 lakh from 3.6 lakh in 2021-22, indicating greater utilisation of India’s trade agreements and expanded market access opportunities for exporters.

GatiShakti

The Network Planning Group constituted under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan framework, has evaluated 396 infrastructure projects with a total estimated cost of about Rs 18.66 lakh crore. Of these, 256 projects have been sanctioned.

ONDC transactions

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has crossed 500 million cumulative transactions, up from 0.2 million transactions in FY23 to 218 million transactions in FY26. More than 2 lakh retail merchants are active on the network, while over 10 lakh service providers across mobility and logistics are associated with ONDC as of July 2026.

Industrial parks

The centre has received 87 proposals from states and Union Territories under the first round of Phase-I of the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana, a scheme aimed at developing large-scale industrial parks to strengthen manufacturing capacity and attract investments.