India, May 16 -- Exports rose by 13.78 per cent to $43.56 billion in April, the highest monthly outbound shipments in more than four years, driven by petroleum products amid a surge in crude oil prices, but trade deficit widened to a three-month high of $28.38 billion due to an uptick in imports.

Imports grew by 10 per cent year-on-year to a six-month high of $71.94 billion in April, inflating the trade deficit. The gap between imports and exports, or trade deficit, was $27.1 billion in April 2025 and $20.67 billion in March 2026. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that despite global geopolitical tensions, the country's exports are registering healthy growth. Exports grew at the fastest pace in five months in April.

"The positive g...