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India’s Small Import Categories Reveal a Changing Economy
India buys many important goods from other countries, such as oil and electronics.
But its smaller purchases also reveal how the country is changing.
It imports used clothes that can be reused or turned into new products.
It buys saffron from Afghanistan because local Kashmiri saffron cannot meet every need and price point.
India imports almost $1 billion of tur dal because its farms do not always grow enough for everyone.
More families are also buying packaged food for dogs and cats.
Art imports show that Indian collectors use international auction and trade routes.
These imports are small compared with India’s total shopping bill, but they show the country’s industries, farms and consumer habits.
India imported $84.93 million in used clothing, much of it for resale, reuse and textile recycling.
Saffron imports totaled about $48.15 million, with roughly 95% coming from Afghanistan despite Kashmir’s prized saffron.
Tur or arhar dal imports reached $947.07 million, mainly supplied by Mozambique, Myanmar and Tanzania.
Pet-food imports rose to $140.96 million, while paintings, drawings and pastels accounted for $61.50 million.
Together, these categories represented only 0.17% of India’s $775.71 billion merchandise import bill but reflected changing consumption and supply chains.
- Who
- India, its consumers, farmers, recyclers, collectors and trading partners.
- What
- India imported used clothing, saffron, tur dal, pet food and artworks during FY26.
- Where
- The goods came from countries including the United States, Canada, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Myanmar, Tanzania, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
- When
- Financial year 2025-26, with comparisons to FY25 where provided.
- Why
- Imports supplement domestic production, support recycling and supply chains, meet agricultural shortfalls, and reflect changing consumer and collector demand.
Key facts
- Total merchandise imports
- $775.71 billion in FY26, up 7.56%.
- Used clothing imports
- $84.93 million, including $58.30 million from the United States and $16.05 million from Canada.
- Saffron-related imports
- Approximately $48.15 million across two customs categories; about 95% came from Afghanistan.
- Tur or arhar dal imports
- $947.07 million, down 26.32% from $1.29 billion a year earlier.
- Pet-food imports
- $140.96 million, up 4.51% from $134.87 million; Thailand supplied $93.33 million.
- Art imports
- Paintings, drawings and pastels totaled $61.50 million, up 9.49% from the previous year.
- Share of total imports
- The five highlighted categories together accounted for 0.17% of India’s merchandise import bill.
Sources
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