1ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture, Ranchi-834 010, Jharkhand, India
*Corresponding Author: S.C. Sharma, ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture, Ranchi-834 010, Jharkhand, India. Email: scsharma09@yahoo.co.in
Gum arabic is a vital biopolymer with diverse industrial applications. India presents a paradoxical case: it is a huge net importer, heavily reliant on a few African countries, while simultaneously having a highly volatile export sector. This study analyzes the growth and instability of India’s gum arabic trade for uniform strategies to reduce import dependency and harness domestic potential.
The study analyzed India’s gum arabic trade data from 1996–97 to 2024–25, sourced from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI and S). The analysis employed the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) to measure growth trends and the Cuddy della Valle Index to quantify export and import instabilities in volume and values.
The results reveal a stark contrast. Imports grew steadily (CAGR of 6.45% in volume, 12.83% in value), leading to a soaring import bill. Conversely, exports were highly volatile, with periods of explosive growth (e.g., 113.53% CAGR) followed by sharp decline, It reflected an alarmingly high instability indices (108.46 for export quantity). A promising recent shift towards value-added exports was observed. The findings highlight a critical strategic vulnerability due to import concentration and export instability.
Export, Growth, Gum arabic, Import, Instability
