India’s international trade

The essentials

India's foreign trade has changed greatly in volume, composition and direction. The share of agricultural and allied products in exports has declined, while manufactured goods, engineering goods, chemicals, and gems and jewellery have become important. Among imports, petroleum, crude oil and petroleum products form a large share; other imports include machinery, chemicals, gold and electronic goods.

Most of India's foreign trade by volume passes through seaports. A port's hinterland is the area it serves – the area from which it receives exports and to which it sends imports.

Key points

• Kandla (Deendayal Port): in the Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat; developed after Partition to make up for the loss of Karachi; a tidal port handling large imports such as petroleum and fertilisers.
• Mumbai: a large natural harbour; Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva) was built to relieve congestion at Mumbai.
• Marmagao (Goa): at the entrance of the Zuari estuary; important for iron ore exports.
• New Mangalore (Karnataka): exports iron ore from Kudremukh.
• Kochi (Kerala): a natural harbour at the head of Vembanad Kayal; called the "Queen of the Arabian Sea".
• Kolkata: a riverine port on the Hugli, about 128 km from the sea; faces siltation, so Haldia was developed downstream to relieve it.
• Paradip (Odisha): in the Mahanadi delta; handles large vessels, mainly exporting iron ore.
• Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): a landlocked, well-protected harbour.
• Chennai: one of the oldest ports on the east coast, with an artificial harbour; Ennore was developed nearby to relieve it.
• Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu): handles trade with neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Exam tips

Match ports with their states and one special feature (tidal, riverine, landlocked, natural harbour, relief port). These are common questions.

Common mistakes

Haldia was developed to relieve Kolkata, and Jawaharlal Nehru Port to relieve Mumbai – do not mix them up.