New Delhi, Jan 27 (Inditop.com) India’s import bill on sensitive items, mainly farm-related goods, has registered a hefty rise of 34.5 percent during the first seven months of this fiscal.
Data released by the commerce ministry Wednesday placed the value of sensitive items’ imports at Rs.35,487 crore ($7.1 billion) between April and October 2009, against Rs.26,378 crore ($5.27 billion) in the like period of the previous fiscal.
Import of sensitive items, numbering around 350, includes pulses, edible oils, fruits and vegetables, rubber, spices, tea, coffee and milk products, besides automobiles, alcoholic beverages, cotton, silk and items reserved for small-scale industries.
The rise in imports of sensitive items has come despite the country’s overall import bill for all commodities registering a decline during the period under review.
Such gross imports were valued at Rs.716,535 crore ($14.330 billion) compared to Rs.916,483 crore ($18.33 billion) during April-October 2008, a commerce ministry release showed.
