What does India produce and export?
India ranks in the top ten producers of 55 commodities: bananas (#1, 27% of world output in 2024), chickpeas (#1, 65% of world output in 2024), ginger (#1, 48% of world output in 2024), mangoes (#1, 45% of world output in 2024), milk (#1, 17% of world output in 2024), rice (#1, 27% of world output in 2024) and more. It is a top-ten exporter of lead (#1, 10% of world export value in 2024), pepper (#1, 24% of world export value in 2024), rice (#1, 30% of world export value in 2024), sesame seed (#1, 7.4% of world export value in 2024), sisal (#1, 39% of world export value in 2024) and more.
Indian agriculture is organized around one weather system. The southwest monsoon arrives in June and retreats by September, and the kharif crops sown into it — rice, cotton, cane — carry the year. The Green Revolution of the late 1960s added semi-dwarf cereal varieties, tubewells, canal irrigation and guaranteed procurement prices, which turned the Indo-Gangetic plain from famine risk into surplus. India grew 27% of the world's rice in 2024 (FAOSTAT) and supplied 30% of world rice export value in 2024 (CEPII BACI). Because rice is also the staple, export policy swings hard: duties and outright bans on non-basmati shipments have been used repeatedly to hold down domestic prices.
Sugar works the same way. Mills in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra buy cane at a price set by government rather than by the sugar market, so surpluses build up and are cleared by export allowances or diverted into ethanol blending. India produced 20% of the world's sugar in 2023 (FAOSTAT). Cotton, grown mostly rainfed on the black soils of the Deccan and transformed by insect-resistant hybrids after 2002, reached 22% of world production in 2023 (FAOSTAT), feeding a domestic spinning industry rather than leaving as fiber.
The import side reflects what the land does not provide. Oilseed yields have never kept pace with cooking-oil demand, so India buys tropical oil from Indonesia and Malaysia: 19% of world palm oil import value in 2024 (CEPII BACI), the largest share of any country. Domestic oilfields in Rajasthan and offshore Mumbai cover a small part of fuel use, and India took 11% of world crude oil import value in 2024 (CEPII BACI), refining much of it at Jamnagar and re-exporting products.
Household demand for gold as savings and dowry jewelry, met almost entirely from abroad and taxed at the border to manage the trade balance, accounted for 10.0% of world gold import value in 2024 (CEPII BACI).
What does India produce?
| Commodity | World rank | Share of world | Production | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas | 1 | 27% | 37.6 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Chickpeas | 1 | 65% | 11 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Ginger | 1 | 48% | 2.3 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Mangoes | 1 | 45% | 27.8 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Milk | 1 | 17% | 135 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Rice | 1 | 27% | 217.9 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Sesame seed | 1 | 13% | 866,111 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Silk | 1 | 56% | 260,000 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Aluminum | 2 | 5.7% | 4.2 million t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Cardamom | 2 | 27% | 54,031 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Cashews | 2 | 19% | 794,910 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Coal | 2 | 12% | 1,084 million tonnes | 2025 | Energy Institute |
| Cotton | 2 | 22% | 5.5 million t | 2023 | FAOSTAT |
| Eggs | 2 | 9.1% | 8.1 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Honey | 2 | 7.9% | 146,000 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Jute | 2 | 38% | 1.4 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Lamb | 2 | 11% | 1.3 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Lentils | 2 | 23% | 1.8 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Peanuts | 2 | 21% | 11.9 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Pepper | 2 | 14% | 126,038 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Plywood | 2 | 11% | 12 million m3 | 2024 | faostat_fo |
| Potatoes | 2 | 15% | 57.1 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Steel | 2 | 8.4% | 160 million t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Sugar | 2 | 20% | 37 million t | 2023 | FAOSTAT |
| Tea | 2 | 19% | 6.2 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Tobacco | 2 | 12% | 727,203 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Tomatoes | 2 | 11% | 21.3 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Wheat | 2 | 14% | 113.3 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Canola | 3 | 15% | 13.3 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Coconut oil | 3 | 18% | 549,000 t | 2023 | FAOSTAT |
| Iron ore | 3 | 12% | 310 million t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Sorghum | 3 | 8.4% | 5.4 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Chromium | 4 | 5.9% | 3 million t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Zinc | 4 | 6.7% | 870,000 t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Apples | 5 | 2.7% | 2.6 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Bauxite | 5 | 5.7% | 25 million t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Chicken | 5 | 3.9% | 5 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Corn | 5 | 3.3% | 40.2 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Linseed | 5 | 3.8% | 112,693 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Orange juice | 5 | 5.7% | 3.9 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Oranges | 5 | 5.7% | 3.9 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Sawnwood | 5 | 5.4% | 24 million m3 | 2024 | faostat_fo |
| Soybeans | 5 | 3.8% | 15.1 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Grapes | 6 | 5.1% | 3.9 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Lead | 6 | 4.9% | 220,000 t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Manganese | 6 | 4% | 790,000 t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Natural rubber | 6 | 5.9% | 876,000 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Pineapples | 6 | 5.9% | 1.7 million t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Rare earths | 6 | 0.7% | 2,900 t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Yams | 6 | 1.1% | 977,000 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Coffee | 7 | 3.3% | 363,000 t | 2024 | FAOSTAT |
| Graphite | 7 | 0.9% | 17,000 t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Logs | 9 | 2.5% | 49.9 million m3 | 2024 | faostat_fo |
| Silver | 10 | 3.1% | 800 t | 2025 | USGS MCS |
| Uranium | 10 | 1.9% | 53.8 terawatt-hours | 2025 | Energy Institute |
What does India export?
| Rank | Country | Export value (US$) | Share of world |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | lead | $877.2 million | 10% |
| 1 | pepper | $1.5 billion | 24% |
| 1 | rice | $11.9 billion | 30% |
| 1 | sesame | $581.6 million | 7.4% |
| 1 | sisal | $268.2 million | 39% |
| 2 | cardamom | $241.8 million | 19% |
| 2 | peanuts | $858.3 million | 18% |
| 2 | shrimp | $4.5 billion | 14% |
| 2 | tobacco | $1.5 billion | 11% |
| 3 | jute | $15.5 million | 7.3% |
| Rest of world | $0 | <0.1% |
| Commodity | World rank | Share of world exports | Export value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 1 | 10% | $877.2 million | 2024 |
| Pepper | 1 | 24% | $1.5 billion | 2024 |
| Rice | 1 | 30% | $11.9 billion | 2024 |
| Sesame seed | 1 | 7.4% | $581.6 million | 2024 |
| Sisal | 1 | 39% | $268.2 million | 2024 |
| Cardamom | 2 | 19% | $241.8 million | 2024 |
| Peanuts | 2 | 18% | $858.3 million | 2024 |
| Shrimp | 2 | 14% | $4.5 billion | 2024 |
| Tobacco | 2 | 11% | $1.5 billion | 2024 |
| Jute | 3 | 7.3% | $15.5 million | 2024 |
| Sugar | 3 | 5.1% | $2.2 billion | 2024 |
| Aluminum | 4 | 5.9% | $4.7 billion | 2024 |
| Beef | 4 | 9.6% | $3.5 billion | 2024 |
| Chickpeas | 4 | 12% | $294.2 million | 2024 |
| Cotton | 4 | 5.3% | $916.4 million | 2024 |
| Honey | 4 | 8.1% | $187.1 million | 2024 |
| Tea | 4 | 11% | $843.1 million | 2024 |
| Ginger | 5 | 6.1% | $79.5 million | 2024 |
| Iron ore | 5 | 1.8% | $2.9 billion | 2024 |
| Lentils | 5 | 4.4% | $182.8 million | 2024 |
| Cinnamon | 6 | 1.7% | $14.5 million | 2024 |
| Cloves | 7 | 1.5% | $10 million | 2024 |
| Linseed | 7 | 2.3% | $28.9 million | 2024 |
| Mangoes | 7 | 3.9% | $160.6 million | 2024 |
| Fishmeal | 8 | 2.9% | $271.5 million | 2024 |
| Bananas | 9 | 2.2% | $342.7 million | 2024 |
| Coffee | 9 | 3.4% | $1.1 billion | 2024 |
| Lamb | 9 | 1% | $89.4 million | 2024 |
| Quinoa | 9 | 1.9% | $5.5 million | 2024 |
| Silk | 9 | 1.2% | $4.3 million | 2024 |
| Yams | 9 | 2.6% | $6.6 million | 2024 |
| Zinc | 9 | 4.9% | $723.1 million | 2024 |
| Grapes | 10 | 4.2% | $552.7 million | 2024 |
| Sorghum | 10 | 0.7% | $18.4 million | 2024 |
| Steel | 10 | 2.5% | $1.7 billion | 2024 |
Top-ten importer of
- Chickpeas: #1, 17% of world imports, $417.4 million (2024)
- Cloves: #1, 33% of world imports, $216 million (2024)
- Dates: #1, 12% of world imports, $287.3 million (2024)
- Jute: #1, 42% of world imports, $88.1 million (2024)
- Lead: #1, 11% of world imports, $963.2 million (2024)
- Lentils: #1, 20% of world imports, $844.5 million (2024)
- Palm oil: #1, 19% of world imports, $8.3 billion (2024)
- Phosphate rock: #1, 36% of world imports, $1.9 billion (2024)
- Silk: #1, 32% of world imports, $119 million (2024)
- Sunflower oil: #1, 17% of world imports, $3.3 billion (2024)
- Bauxite: #2, 3% of world imports, $349 million (2024)
- Cashews: #2, 45% of world imports, $1.6 billion (2024)
- Cinnamon: #2, 12% of world imports, $98.7 million (2024)
- Coal: #2, 18% of world imports, $32.2 billion (2024)
- Logs: #2, 7% of world imports, $913 million (2024)
- Manganese: #2, 17% of world imports, $1.1 billion (2024)
- Palm kernel oil: #2, 12% of world imports, $133.3 million (2024)
- Silver: #2, 17% of world imports, $5.6 billion (2024)
- Urea: #2, 10% of world imports, $2.1 billion (2024)
- Wool: #2, 7.2% of world imports, $202.8 million (2024)
- Apples: #3, 5.1% of world imports, $412.1 million (2024)
- Cardamom: #3, 8.6% of world imports, $108.1 million (2024)
- Crude oil: #3, 11% of world imports, $141.8 billion (2024)
- Platinum: #3, 11% of world imports, $1.6 billion (2024)
- Sesame seed: #3, 6% of world imports, $475.8 million (2024)
- Copper: #4, 3.8% of world imports, $4 billion (2024)
- Natural gas: #4, 6.5% of world imports, $30.8 billion (2024)
- Pepper: #4, 4.6% of world imports, $279.1 million (2024)
- Potash: #4, 5.7% of world imports, $1.1 billion (2024)
- Rare earths: #4, 6% of world imports, $66.8 million (2024)
- Steel: #4, 4.1% of world imports, $2.8 billion (2024)
- Gold: #5, 10% of world imports, $58.5 billion (2024)
- Graphite: #5, 7.5% of world imports, $40.2 million (2024)
- Natural rubber: #5, 6.1% of world imports, $1 billion (2024)
- Phosphate fertilizers: #5, 4.9% of world imports, $173.3 million (2024)
- Pistachios: #5, 5.5% of world imports, $187.4 million (2024)
- Sugar: #5, 3.8% of world imports, $1.7 billion (2024)
- Uranium: #5, 3% of world imports, $46.8 million (2024)
- Chromium: #6, 1% of world imports, $82.3 million (2024)
- Cotton: #6, 6.2% of world imports, $1.1 billion (2024)
- Tin: #6, 6.3% of world imports, $404.5 million (2024)
- Molybdenum: #8, 5.7% of world imports, $467.9 million (2024)
- Zinc: #8, 3.8% of world imports, $554.8 million (2024)
- Lithium: #10, 0.4% of world imports, $15 million (2024)
- Nickel: #10, 4% of world imports, $578.7 million (2024)
Sources: FAOSTAT (crops and livestock), USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (minerals), Energy Institute Statistical Review (energy) for production; CEPII BACI for trade. Ranks count only the commodities on this site.
Downloads and citation
This country's rankings as JSON. Cite as: Commodity Origins, "What does India produce and export?", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/IND/ (CC BY 4.0).
Data updated 6 September 2026.