Gandhinagar, July 28 (IANS) Gujarat retained its position as India’s leading exporting state in the financial year 2025-26, contributing $110 billion to the country’s record merchandise and services exports of $863 billion, underlining the state’s central role in India’s external trade and manufacturing economy, officials said on Tuesday.
The state’s export performance was driven by a diverse industrial base that includes engineering products, petroleum products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, gems and jewellery, and electronics.
Industry representatives said Gujarat’s manufacturing ecosystem and export-oriented industrial policies have helped strengthen its position in overseas markets over the past several years.
Narendra Panchani, Rajkot Engineering Association President, said Gujarat’s policy framework had played a significant role in expanding exports.
“Over the past few years, Gujarat, along with India, has played a leading role in exports because of its various policies. Gujarat’s Industrial Policy has remained the number one policy, and the recently introduced new policy is the first of its kind in India,” Panchani added.
Industry experts also attributed the state’s export growth to its logistics network and transport infrastructure.
Gujarat has the country’s largest coastline and hosts several major ports that handle a substantial share of India’s cargo traffic.
The state is also home to multiple Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which have emerged as important centres for export-oriented manufacturing and trade.
Former Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Chairman Vinod Agrawal said that Gujarat’s competitive logistics costs and well-developed transport infrastructure had been key factors in strengthening the state’s export competitiveness.
Beyond its traditional export sectors, Gujarat is also expanding its presence in emerging industries such as semiconductors and advanced manufacturing.
Large-scale investments in semiconductor and high-technology manufacturing projects are expected to broaden the state’s export basket and strengthen its position in global supply chains.
Rahul Singh, Ahmedabad Joint Director of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), said the state’s growing investments in new-age industries, including semiconductors and financial services, were expected to further enhance Gujarat’s export capacity in the coming years.
Officials and industry representatives said Gujarat’s combination of modern port infrastructure, established industrial clusters, export-oriented policies and strong connectivity with international markets has enabled it to remain India’s largest exporting state while supporting the country’s broader manufacturing and trade objectives under initiatives such as ‘Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision.
–IANS
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