E-Paper
Exports to European regions jump over 14% in November
After the US imposed a 50% additional tariff on Indian goods, Europe has emerged as a saviour for the country’s exporters.
New Delhi : Europe emerged as the key market for Indian goods in November 2025, with India exporting over $7.9 billion of merchandise, a 14.27% annualised jump, that came after the region posted an 18.3% dip to $7.12 billion in October, according to government data.
While India had registered a double-digit contraction in all three key geographies of Europe in October 2025, all regions turned positive in the subsequent month because of Indian exporters’ trade diversion strategy to protect themselves from the high US tariff.
After the US imposed a 50% additional tariff on Indian goods, Europe has emerged as a saviour for the country’s exporters. Total gross domestic product of Europe is estimated at over $31.48 trillion in 2026, with the largest share of the 27-country bloc, the European Union, estimated at $22.52 trillion.
Indian exports to the European Union bloc saw a 16% year-on-year jump to $6.3 billion in November 2025. India and the EU are in the advanced stage of concluding a free trade agreement (FTA). A commerce ministry statement on Saturday termed Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal’s two-day (January 8-9) Brussels visit “significant”, marking “a decisive step forward” in the India-EU FTA negotiations.
The second region, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), with which India recently signed an FTA, posted a 16% year-on-year growth to $135.24 million. India’s FTA with the bloc of four developed countries—Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein—came into force in October 2025.
Indian exports in the rest of Europe, including the United Kingdom, registered over 7% annualised growth to $1.51 billion in November 2025. India and the UK signed an FTA in July 2025, which is expected to be operationalised this year.
Country-wise, India registered strong annualised growth in exports to the UK, Germany, Spain, France, and Belgium in November 2025.
India’s exports to the UK jumped from $958.29 million in November 2024 to over $1.10 billion in the corresponding month of 2025, a 15.35% jump. Similarly, exports grew by 24.91% to $980 million in Germany in November 2025. The annualised growth in Spain was about 180% to $893.47 million, 65.7% in France to $735.24 million, and 31% in Belgium to $525.61 million in the same period.
A commerce ministry official confirmed that India’s export footprint in key European markets is on the rise. “India’s export performance in Europe continues to strengthen, with Spain, Germany, Belgium and Poland emerging as stable and increasingly important demand centres,” the official said, asking not to be named. “Together, these markets signal India’s growing competitiveness in value-added manufacturing and diversified product segments, even as overall export growth remains measured in a challenging global trade environment.”
Share of key EU markets in India’s total exports has increased from 5.5% in April-November 2024 to 6.3% in April-November 2025, he added.
Talking about stable export growth in Europe, the official said that Spain stands out as a high-growth European market for Indian exports. Exports to Spain expanded sharply from $3 billion in April-November 2024 to $4.7 billion in April-November 2025, registering a robust 54.5% growth and an absolute increase of $1.65 billion, he said. During this period, Spain’s share in India’s total exports rose to 2.4%, a notable gain of 0.5 percentage points—the highest increase in the share among European partners, he added.
Germany remains a steady anchor market, reinforcing India’s presence in core European value chains, the official said. Exports to Germany increased from $6.8 billion to $7.5 billion, reflecting a 9.3% growth. With a 2.6% share in India’s total exports and a positive share gain of 0.2 percentage points, Germany continues to provide stable demand for Indian products, he added.
Belgium reflects resilience and continuity in India-EU trade flows. “Exports to Belgium edged up from $4.2 billion to $4.4 billion, recording a modest 5.0% growth and a value increase of $0.21 billion. While Belgium’s share remained stable at 1.4%, the sustained expansion highlights its role as a key trading partner within Europe,” the official cited above said.
Poland has also emerged as a steadily expanding market in Central Europe. India’s exports to Poland increased from $1.69 billion in April-November 2024 to $1.82 billion during the same period in 2025, registering a 7.6% growth and an absolute rise of $129 million. “Taken together, these trends highlight a nuanced European strategy for India’s exports,” the official added.
“Rapid growth in Spain, steady expansion in Germany, and resilience in Belgium reflect a balanced export profile combining market diversification from traditional markets and consolidation in mature economies. As India strengthens its manufacturing depth and supply reliability, these European markets are likely to play an increasingly strategic role in anchoring India’s long-term export growth across the EU,” the official concluded.
