MSME Briefing Bureau:

DGCI&S data flags sharp erosion in Gujarat’s export share

Gujarat’s share of India’s exports has fallen sharply over three years, with the state’s contribution declining from 33.12% in 2022-23 to 25.04% in 2025-26. The data, presented by Avishek Poddar, Director, DGCI&S, at the CII Gujarat Export Conclave in Ahmedabad, showed that Gujarat’s exports also declined to $110.63 billion in FY2025-26 from $149.40 billion in 2022-23, raising questions over the state’s ability to retain its export advantage.

The numbers presented by Poddar put Gujarat’s export performance under sharper scrutiny. While Gujarat continues to be India’s leading exporting state, its merchandise exports have declined from $134.39 billion in 2023-24 to $116.35 billion in 2024-25 and $110.63 billion in 2025-26. Its share of India’s exports has correspondingly dropped by more than eight percentage points from 2022-23.

The decline assumes greater significance because India’s overall exports reached $863.1 billion in FY2025-26. Gujarat’s falling share therefore points not simply to slower exports but to the possibility that other states and competing export centres are gaining ground faster.

Poddar told exporters that the global trading environment was undergoing a fundamental shift, driven by geopolitical developments, rising protectionism, technology standards, environmental requirements, anti-dumping actions and non-tariff barriers.

For Indian manufacturers, he argued, overcoming these barriers would be critical to expanding exports. Exporters must understand emerging market requirements and identify products and destinations where they can build sustainable competitive advantage.

Poddar also urged exporters to make greater use of DGFT’s analytical dashboard and trade data to identify markets where particular products are recording strong export growth. The approach, he suggested, should be data-led rather than dependent on traditional markets and established trading relationships.

K.C. Sampat, Managing Director, iNDEX-B, said achieving India’s long-term ambition of $3 trillion in exports would require manufacturers to focus increasingly on quality and value-added products. He also urged exporters to use government-supported FTA sessions to understand market-access opportunities and regulatory requirements.

The Gujarat government outlined four areas for strengthening exports—high-margin export opportunities, infrastructure, MSME competitiveness and a stronger domestic industrial ecosystem to reduce excessive import dependence.

It also highlighted the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conferences held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat and Mehsana. Reverse Buyer-Seller Meets across these events attracted around 230 international buyers and 4,250 domestic sellers, resulting in 10,800 business meetings and business inquiries valued at about ₹1,680 crore.

Achal Bakeri, Chairman, CII Gujarat State Council and Chairman & Managing Director, Symphony Ltd, underlined Gujarat’s continuing importance to India’s export economy. Gujarat nevertheless remains the country’s largest exporting state, with $110.63 billion in exports in FY2025-26. while India achieved a record USD 863.1 billion in overall exports, underscoring the country’s growing competitiveness in global markets.

MSME Briefing observation: The data presented at the conclave makes the challenge clear: Gujarat has not lost its export leadership, but its lead is narrowing. The next phase will require exporters to move up the value chain, exploit FTAs, use market intelligence more aggressively and adapt to increasingly complex global trade barriers.