Russia's exports to India falter, UAE rises as formidable competitor

India’s imports from Russia declined 5.54% to $26.46 billion in the first five months of the current financial year, bringing the country’s secondlargest supplier of goods close to being overtaken by third-placed United Arab Emirates (UAE), government data showed.

- Rajeev Jayaswal

Overall, India’s imports by value stood at $306.52 billion in April-August 2025 compared to $300.11 billion in the corresponding period last year, registering 2.14% growth.

The UAE, with exports worth $26.40 billion to India, trails Russia by a mere $60 million in India’s import rankings for April-August. China remains the dominant top supplier at $51.57 billion, followed by Russia, the UAE, the US ($21.61 billion) and Saudi Arabia ($12.39 billion) in fifth position.

China strengthened its position as India’s largest import partner with a surge of over posting robust growth of 8% or more year-on-year.