India’s merchandise trade deficit narrowed to a five-month low of $20.78 billion in September as imports grew at the slowest pace in six months and exports rose marginally after two months of decline, the official data showed on Wednesday. The trade deficit, or the gap between imports and exports, had widened to a 10-month high of $29.65 billion in August. Goods worth $55.36 billion were imported last month, up 1.62 per cent compared to the year-ago period, amid softening global petroleum prices.