Five major sectors, including engineering, petroleum and electronics, accounted for nearly 83 per cent of the increase in India's merchandise exports in October, as shipments recorded their fastest monthly growth in five years, according to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). The report said merchandise exports rose 45.1 per cent year-on-year to a record USD 49.47 billion in October 2026, taking cumulative shipments during April-October to USD 309.06 billion, up 22 per cent from a year earlier. Exports from the five sectors - engineering goods, petroleum products, electronic goods, gems and jewellery, and organic and inorganic chemicals - increased 59.4 per cent to USD 34.37 billion in October, compared with USD 21.56 billion in the corresponding month last year.