India’s import dependence on China remains significant, with over $30 billion worth of products sourced heavily from the neighboring country in FY25—nearly one-third of its total imports from there. Analysis of trade data shows that India relies on China for hundreds of critical products, with Beijing’s share in several categories rising compared to pre-pandemic levels.
In 416 product groups, valued at around $25.2 billion, China supplies more than two-thirds of India’s imports. In fact, for 59 categories worth $1.3 billion, imports come almost entirely from China. Another $5 billion of imports—such as pharmaceutical raw materials and electronic display components like LCDs and OLEDs—also reflect a dependence of over 90 percent.
The trend is visible across multiple sectors. In fertilisers, China’s share has grown from 26.5 percent six years ago to around 35 percent, while its contribution to India’s ammonium sulphate imports surged from 5.8 percent in FY19 to over 62 percent in FY25. Rare earth elements have also seen rising dominance, with Beijing now accounting for more than 65 percent of imports.
The pharmaceutical industry is among the most vulnerable, as India’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supply chain depends almost entirely on Chinese imports. Beyond this, categories worth nearly $19 billion, including furnaces, ovens, and personal computers, also rely on China for 75–90 percent of supplies.
These figures highlight India’s growing trade exposure to China, particularly in strategic and industrially critical sectors.