Discuss the major trends in India’s foreign trade. Also list the major products that India trades with other countries.



Prev quesNext ques

Q.6:- Discuss the major trends in India’s foreign trade. Also list the major products that India trades with other countries.

 

 Answer:-
India is now the 10th largest economy in the world and the fastest growing economy, next only to China. As per the Goldman Sach Report 2004, India is projected to be the second largest economy by 2050. Despite these features, India’s involvement with international business is not very impressive. India’s share in world trade in 2003 was abysmally low, just 0.8 per cent as compared to those of other developing countries such as China (5.9 per cent), Hong Kong (3.0 per cent), South Korea (2.6 per cent), Malaysia (1.3 per cent), Singapore (1.9 per cent), and Thailand (1.1 per cent).

(i) Post liberalization, the share of foreign trade in the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has grown from 14.6% in 1990-91 to 24.1% in 2003-04. Exports and imports have been increasing continuously since then.



(ii) India’s total merchandise export was Rs. 606 crore in 1950-51. It has grown to Rs. 293, 367 crore in 2003-04. Thus, there has been an increase of 480 times in exports in the last five decades.
(iii) India’s total import was Rs. 6.8 crore in 1950-51. It has grown to Rs. 359, 108 crore in 2003-03. This shows a growth of 590 times over the same period.
(iv) Although in overall terms India accounts for just 0.8 per cent of world exports, in many individual product items such as tea, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, rice, spices, iron ore and concentrates, leather and leather manufactures, textile yarns fabrics, garments and tobacco, its share is much higher and ranges between 3 per cent to 13 per cent. Also it holds the distinct position of being the largest exporter in the world in select commodities such as basmati rice, tea, and ayurvedic products.

(v) India mainly imported crude oil and petroleum products, capital goods (i.e., machinery), electronic goods, pearl, precious and semi-precious stones, gold, silver and chemicals

Prev quesNext ques