India’s merchandise trade with the U.K. reached $19.3 billion by January 2025.
This is a 60% increase from $12.2 billion in 2016-17.
Exports to the U.K. rose 41%, from $8.5 billion in 2016-17 to $12 billion in 2024-25.
Imports from the U.K. nearly doubled, growing from $3.7 billion to $7.3 billion in the same period.
The growth in imports has outpaced exports, widening the trade gap.
India’s exports to the U.K. are concentrated in a few sectors:
Electrical machinery (15.3%)
Nuclear reactors and machinery (11.6%)
Mineral fuels and oils (9.1%)
Precious stones (7%)
Pharmaceuticals (5.4%)
Engineering goods and machinery are expected to grow sharply after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Engineering exports to the U.K. are projected to double to $7.55 billion by 2029-30.
The U.K. is India’s sixth-largest destination for engineering exports.
Imports from the U.K. are even more concentrated, with the top five items making up 65% of all imports:
Precious stones (30.5%)
Nuclear machinery (17.4%)
Electrical machinery (7.2%)
Iron and steel (5%)
Aluminium products (4.5%)
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