What does India import from Türkiye?

The brief lists the top imports from Türkiye in 2025-26 as crude petroleum, electric machinery and equipment, granite and natural stone products, inorganic chemicals, and industrial machinery for dairy.

What was Operation Dost?

Operation Dost was India's humanitarian assistance initiative after the earthquakes of 6 February 2023 in southern Türkiye. It comprised NDRF search and rescue teams and an Indian Army field hospital, with over 250 trained personnel flown in six C-17 military aircraft.

Trade, investment and cooperation between India and Türkiye

Q: What was the value of India-Türkiye trade in 2025-26?

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, India's bilateral trade with Türkiye stood at USD 6.88 billion in FY 2025-26, with India's exports at USD 4.54 billion.

This article covers trade and investment between India and Türkiye, the agreements behind their economic relations, and two further areas of cooperation recorded in the brief: defence, and the humanitarian mission India sent after the earthquakes of February 2023. It is based on the MEA bilateral brief of June 2026, and all figures are given as the brief states them, for the periods it names.

Economic agreements and the Joint Committee

According to the MEA brief of June 2026, economic and commercial cooperation constitutes an important dimension of the relationship. A Bilateral Trade Agreement between India and Türkiye was signed in 1973. It was followed in 1983 by an Agreement on setting up an India-Türkiye Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (JCETC).

Under this Agreement, JCETC meetings are held alternately in India and Türkiye, co-chaired by the trade ministers of the two countries. The last session, the 10th, was held in New Delhi in January 2014.

Trade figures

The brief states that India's economic engagement with Türkiye acquired new momentum in recent years. In FY 2022-23, bilateral trade grew by 28.99%, crossing USD 13.80 billion. According to the brief, this made Türkiye India's 26th largest trading partner and 13th largest export destination, with India's exports at USD 9.6 bn (2.3% of total export).

In FY 2025-26, India's bilateral trade with Türkiye stood at USD 6.88 billion. The brief states that this made Türkiye India's 40th largest trading partner and 28th largest export destination, with India's exports at USD 4.54 billion (1.03% of total export). It cites the Department of Commerce (DoC), India, as the source.

The brief's trade table, in USD millions and sourced to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, gives these figures for India's exports, India's imports and total trade:

2019-20: exports 4969.47, imports 2116.56, total 7086.03
2020-21: exports 3,952.89, imports 1467.33, total 5,420.22
2021-22: exports 8,716.13, imports 1,996.75, total 10,712.88
2022-23: exports 9,609.67, imports 4,208.84, total 13,818.51
2023-24: exports 6,650, imports 3,780, total 10,430
2024-25: exports 5716.53, imports 2994.61, total 8711.14
2025-26: exports 4544.88, imports 2342.78, total 6887.65

The table also gives yearly growth rates. It shows India's exports growing by 120.50% in 2021-22 and India's imports by 110.78% in 2022-23. For the three most recent years it shows declines: exports by 30.75% in 2023-24, 14.10% in 2024-25 and 20.50% in 2025-26, and imports by 10.18%, 20.78% and 21.73% in the same years.

Main goods traded

The brief lists India's top principal commodities of export to Türkiye during 2025-26 as:

Iron and steel (USD 446 million)
Auto components and parts (USD 302 million)
Telecom instruments (USD 217 million)
Manmade Yarn, Fabrics, Made ups (USD 212 million)
Electric Machinery and Equipment (USD 190 million)

It lists the top principal commodities of import from Türkiye during 2025-26 as:

Petroleum: crude (USD 351 million)
Electric Machinery and Equipment (USD 329 million)
Granite, natural stone, and products (USD 190 million)
Inorganic chemicals (USD 155 million)
Industrial Machinery For Dairy Etc (USD 154 million)

Investment

As per the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, India, total FDI from Türkiye to India during April 2000-December 2025 amounts to USD 255.78 million. As per the Department of Economic Affairs, total Indian investment in Türkiye stands at USD 214 million for the period April 2000-February 2026.

The brief gives a second figure for Indian investment from the Turkish side. As per the Central Bank of Türkiye, total Indian investment in Türkiye was USD 151 million.

Defence cooperation

The brief states that India and Türkiye have progressively strengthened their defence ties through structured engagements and military exchanges, and that these interactions have enhanced professional collaboration and strategic understanding between the armed forces. The brief names no specific exercises, visits or defence agreements.

According to the brief, defence industry cooperation is also growing, with both countries exploring opportunities for trade, technology transfer and joint ventures in key sectors. It refers to participation in international defence expos and to increasing business-to-business engagement. The brief names maritime security, counter-terrorism and emerging defence technologies as areas for deeper engagement.

Operation Dost

After the earthquakes of 6 February 2023 in southern Türkiye, India launched a humanitarian assistance initiative named "Operation Dost" (Operation Friend). It consisted of search and rescue teams from India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and a mobile field hospital set up by the Indian Army.

According to the brief, over 250 trained Indian personnel were brought to Türkiye, along with specialised equipment, vehicles and relief material, in six C-17 military aircraft. They worked in search and rescue operations and provided medical treatment through a self-contained field hospital equipped to perform even life and limb-saving surgeries. The brief states that Operation Dost was among the earliest foreign help to arrive in Türkiye, as a mark of solidarity with the people of Türkiye.