Share of exports in India's GDP rises to 17.7% in FY12

The share of merchandise exports in the country's GDP has increased from 13.9 percent in 2009-10 to 17.7 percent in 2011-12, Parliament was informed today.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandeswari said that exports have always played an important role in the economic development of most countries.

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"This is evident even in Indian case from the continuous upward movement of percentage share of merchandise exports in the overall GDP of India from 13.9 percent in 2009-10 to 16 percent in 2010-11 and 17.7 percent in 2011-12," she said.

She also said that as per the WTO trade statistics, India's share in the total global exports has also been increasing since 2007. In 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, the country's share in the total global exports stood at 1.07 percent, 1.21 percent, 1.31 percent, 1.48 percent and 1.67 percent respectively.

"The long term vision of the government is to make India a major player in world trade and assume a role of leadership in international trade organisations commensurate with India's growing importance," the Minister said. During April-January period, overseas shipments declined by 4.86 percent to USD 239.6 billion.