India is expected to contribute 6 per cent to the global trade growth in the next five years as China and the US lead the ranks, according to a DHL Trade Atlas 2025 report. The report comes amid India’s total trade exports rising 3.16 per cent in February 2025.
India is expected to drive global trade growth, contributing 6 per cent in the upcoming five years, according to a joint report from New York University Stern School of Business and DHL named “DHL Trade Atlas 2025.”
According to the research report, India’s contribution to global trade growth is expected to follow China’s footsteps at 12 per cent and that of the United States at 10 per cent.
“India also stands out as the country with the third-largest absolute amount of forecast trade growth (6% of additional global trade), behind only China (12%) and the United States (10%),” according to the report.
The South Asian nation (India) is also expected to retain its third spot on the scale dimension and jump to the 17th spot, compared to its current levels of 32nd on the speed dimension metric.
“India, on the other hand, achieved its third-place rank on the scale dimension because its trade growth was much faster than other large economies,” according to the research report.
India’s contribution to global trade
In 2024, India was the 13th largest participant in international trade, with an annual compound growth rate of 5.2 per cent from the year 2019.
According to the official Ministry of Commerce and Industry data, India’s total exports for February 2025 (including Merchandise and Services) were $71.95 billion, a 3.16 per cent increase from the $69.74 billion in the same month in 2024.
On the other hand, total trade imports into India dropped 11.33 per cent in February 2025 to $67.52 billion, compared to $76.15 billion in February 2024.
India’s Import Export Map
According to the import-export dashboard data, India majorly exports its goods and services to nations like the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and China.
The nation is a major importer of commodities from China, Russia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
India imports commodities like petroleum crude, gold, petroleum products, electronic components, coal, and coke, among other key items from foreign nations.
On the exports front, India is an exporter of finished petroleum products, medical drugs, telecom instruments, pearls, electric machinery, etc.
According to the DHL Trade Atlas research report, India’s absolute trade volume growth is expected to be 484.0 billion between 2024 and 2029.
“The Trade Atlas underlines India’s rapid expansion in global trade, positioning the country as a critical hub connecting the East and West. While we anticipate trade volume growth and an increase in global trade share, we remain cautiously optimistic about the future given the global economy’s general volatility,” R S Subramanian, SVP South Asia, DHL Express, told the news agency ANI.
Source: Mint
