The government has revised upwards the export figure for 2002-03.

According to an official release, India's merchandise exports grew 19.18 per cent to $52.2 billion in 2002-03 from $43.8 billion in 2001-02. In May, the government had announced that exports grew 18 per cent to cross the $50 billion mark.

The directorate-general of commercial intelligence and statistics reported a 106.1 per cent growth in exports to China, which reached $1.96 billion in 2002-03, compared to $951.95 million in 2001-02.

Exports to the United States grew over 27 per cent and crossed the $10 billion mark in 2002-03. Exports to Japan increased by around 23 per cent, to South Korea by 36 per cent, to Thailand by 12 per cent, to Singapore by 46 per cent, to Indonesia by 54.75 per cent and to Australia by over 20 per cent, the release said. India's exports to Pakistan also grew 42.92 per cent to $205.81 million in 2002-03.

Exports to the American region increased by 24.69 per cent to $12.89 billion and to Latin America by 34 per cent, while exports to Asia and Oceania grew 42.85 per cent to $22.38 billion during 2002-03.

Exports to west Europe increased by over 23 per cent, while imports from the region grew over 24 per cent. Exports to east Europe rose 15 per cent, though exports to CIS and the Baltic states were down 5 per cent in 2002-03.

"India achieved this export growth at a time when the world economy was sluggish and even many of the developed countries were finding it difficult to achieve growth in their exports," the release said.

Sectors showing a declining trend in 2002-03 include plantations, carpets, coal, poultry and dairy products, spirits and beverages, oil meals, pulses, nuts and seeds, and mica.

Agricultural exports climbed to $4.4 billion in 2002-03 from $4.06 billion in 2001-02, representing an increase of 10.32 per cent. Rice exports increased by 66 per cent and wheat by 25 per cent.

The high-growth product categories include engineering goods (24.94 per cent), ores and minerals (50.50 per cent), chemicals and related products (16.40 per cent), gems and jewellery (21.18 per cent), rubber, glass and other products (17.68 per cent), handicrafts (31 per cent), floriculture products (35 per cent), processed foods (10.94 per cent), marine products (11.66 per cent), petroleum products (14.26 per cent) and man-made textiles (24 per cent).