Of exports this January

Indian exports continued to point toward the country's strong presence in the international marketplace with an 11.5 per cent bump in January, the third consecutive month of export growth. Exports rung in at $14.34 billion against $12.9 billion in January 2009, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said. Sectors leading the way to Indian export rejuvenation include fruits and vegetables, marine products, tobacco and man-made yarn, Sharma said. Similarly, tea, coffee, drugs and plastics and gems and jewellery turned the corner, positing positive growth in January. "Engineering goods, textiles, jute, carpets, handicrafts and leather, however, continue to do very badly," Sharma said, adding, these sectors are of major concern.
January's strong showing followed a 15 month high in December when exports touched $14.61 billion. Exports are now on a three month run of showing positive growth, dating back to November 2009 when exports reached $13.2 billion.
Although the ministry never set a formal target, expectations for exports were just under $170 billion for fiscal 2010.Including January, total exports stand at $132 billion with two months remaining in the fiscal. If exports maintain an average of $13.2 billion, expectations will be missed while reaching 2011 expectations will require massive growth over the next year. "We should have at least $15 billion every month, if you're targeting $200 billion for 2010-2011," said Ajay Sahai, director general for the Federation of Indian Exports Organisation