New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- India's merchandise imports from Russia declined 5.54% to $26.46 billion in the first five months of the current financial year, bringing the country's second-largest supplier close to being overtaken by the United Arab Emirates, government data showed.

Russia was the only country among India's top five import sources to register a decline, with all other major suppliers posting robust growth of 8% or more year-on-year. The country's imports from Russia dropped from $28.01 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Overall, India's imports by value stood at $306.52 billion in April-August 2025 compared to $300.11 billion in the corresponding period last year, registering 2.14% growth.

The UAE, with imports wo...