RAS question
India's merchandise exports in November 2025 rose to approximately what value, registering a 19.4% year-on-year increase?
Correct answer: (B) $38.13 billion.
India's merchandise exports in November 2025 were approximately US$ 38.13 billion, up about 19.4% year-on-year from November 2024.
Explanation
The November 2025 export figure is US$ 38.13 billion. The PIB release states that merchandise exports in November 2025 stood at US$ 38.13 billion, compared with US$ 31.94 billion in November 2024; that gap is the basis for the roughly 19.4% year-on-year rise. Engineering goods and electronic goods were among the major drivers of merchandise export growth in November 2025. Engineering goods rose from US$ 8.90 billion to US$ 11.01 billion, while electronic goods rose from US$ 3.46 billion to US$ 4.81 billion. The trade deficit narrowed to US$ 24.5 billion, so the figure belongs to the monthly merchandise trade snapshot, not cumulative April-November exports.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) US$ 31.9 billion is close to the November 2024 merchandise export value of US$ 31.94 billion, not the November 2025 value.
- (C) US$ 44.7 billion is not the PIB-reported November 2025 merchandise export figure; the release gives US$ 38.13 billion for that month.
- (D) US$ 29.5 billion is below both the reported November 2025 value and the November 2024 comparison figure, so it does not match the year-on-year rise.
Concept
India's external-sector indicators include monthly merchandise trade data and year-on-year comparison. Such figures recur in RAS because export performance, sectoral drivers and the trade deficit connect current affairs with macroeconomics.