The corporate sector is becoming increasingly export-oriented, with the share of export to overall sales rising for almost all the sectors, says a study by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
“Among the sectors showing a jump in the share of export to overall sales ratio are non-metallic mineral products (22.6 per cent to 26.1 per cent), metal and metal products (10.8 per cent to 13.4 per cent), automobiles (4.2 per cent to 9.9 per cent) and electronics (4.5 per cent to 9.7 per cent). The overall jump is from 5.9 per cent in 2000-01 to 18.6 per cent in 2010-11,” the report says.
The FICCI report, however, cautions that export growth may be tapering. “Export growth in the first half of the current fiscal is 53 per cent, and the monthly export growth has moderated significantly in September 2011 to 36.4 per cent from 82 per cent in July 2011,” it says.
While the rising of share of exports is a sign of growing competitiveness of Indian companies, increasing global integration also means being exposed to global downswings.
According to a FICCI research study, the slowdown in advanced economies had minimal impact on India's export growth, owing mostly to the diversification in the developing markets. For example, according to the latest data, exports to OECD countries in 2010-11 accounted for 33.3 per cent of our exports (37.4 per cent in 2008-09). According to the latest International Monetary Fund report on the world economy, real gross domestic product in Asian economies is projected to expand at 6.6 per cent in 2012, up from 6.2 per cent in 2011.