NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – India has begun a broad review to identify about 100 imported products that domestic manufacturers could produce at greater scale. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is leading the work through six specialist groups. The review spans health care, transport, energy, electronics, chemicals, textiles and industrial equipment. The government has not released the final list or announced product-specific incentives.
The exercise comes as India manages a wider merchandise trade gap. Goods imports reached $774.98 billion in fiscal 2025-26, up from $721.20 billion a year earlier. Merchandise exports totaled $441.78 billion, producing a deficit of $333.19 billion. Imports excluding petroleum, gems and jewellery rose to $498.56 billion, according to official Commerce Ministry data. These figures show which sectors remain heavily dependent on overseas supplies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the central government and states in December 2025 to identify 100 products suitable for local manufacturing. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal later urged companies to study official import records and expand production in high-dependence sectors. He highlighted capital goods and medical devices as important areas. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade then organized the sector groups with relevant ministries.
Six groups examine major industries
Each group covers a distinct part of the economy. One examines pharmaceuticals and medical devices, while another reviews chemicals, textiles and footwear. Separate teams handle capital goods, automobiles, electric vehicles, energy equipment and infrastructure machinery. Civilian aerospace, defence-linked products and electronics also form part of the review. Officials are using product-level trade records to compare import values, volumes and source markets.
India already runs production-linked incentive programs across 14 sectors. These programs cover electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, batteries, telecommunications equipment, solar modules, textiles and medical devices. The government also supports semiconductor manufacturing and domestic production of electronic components through separate schemes. Pharmaceutical incentives include 41 bulk drugs selected because of heavy import dependence. Solar manufacturing programs cover planned high-efficiency module capacity of nearly 48 gigawatts.
Official trade data shapes review
The Commerce Ministry maintains digital trade platforms with country and product-level import data. Officials and companies can use those records to track changes across major categories. India imported $216.18 billion in goods from April through June 2026, compared with $180.31 billion during the same period a year earlier. The increase followed the higher import bill from the previous financial year. Authorities are using the data to narrow the product list and identify manufacturing gaps.
The current review builds on government efforts to link customs classifications with responsible industrial departments. That process helps officials identify high-volume imports and assign follow-up work to the appropriate ministry. The central government has confirmed the six-group review and its focus on domestic production. It has not published the final product selection, detailed import values for each item or any new support package. Any product-specific program would require a separate official notification from the relevant ministry.