India, Aug. 18 -- India's recent trade tensions with the US and the gradual but steadily rising protectionist tide in the advanced economies has raised questions about the viability of exports as a driver of India's economic growth. While India is often not considered an export success story in the recent past, especially in comparison to countries such as China and even smaller economies in south-east Asia, exports or trade as a whole are far from insignificant in India's macroeconomy. This two-part series will lay down some stylised facts around India's exports and put them in the larger context. The first part will look at the importance of trade in India's overall economy and the second will look at the country's exports and imports i...