India's merchandise trade deficit in October stood at $27.14 billion, according to a Reuters calculation based on export and import data released by the government on Thursday.

India’s trade deficit widened significantly in October as imports climbed during the Hindu festival season, even though exports posted a robust growth.

Merchandise imports increased by 3.9% to $66.34 billion in October, compared to $63.86 billion in the same month last year.

In the April-October period, exports increased 3.18 per cent to $252.28 billion and imports by 5.77 per cent to $416.93 billion.

India's merchandise trade deficit in October widened more than expected to $27.14 billion, driven by a surge in imports, trade data released by the government on Thursday showed. Economists had expected the country's October trade deficit to be $22 billion,

India's merchandise trade deficit widened to $27.14 billion in October, significantly up from $20.8 billion in September due to a faster growth rate in imports, data released today shows. A merchandise trade deficit occurs when a country imports more goods than it exports.