India's Foreign Trade during 16th and 17th Century: A Historical Study

During the 16th and 17th Centuries the trade increased many fold in India. The shipping industry’s progress played a
significant role in it. The topographical conditions of India also played an important part in it. India's long coastline
and its connectivity with south-east Asian nations from the Coromandel Coast provided ideal conditions for European
powers to do trade. The Europeans were in search of spices got attracted towards the East. India's trade relations with
Europe became friendlier in the 17th century. India's imports consisted of three categories- precious metals & stones,
raw materials and luxuries items like spices & perfumes. Later the new items traded with the Europeans were Indigo,
cotton, saltpetre, lac, rice, sugar, raw silk etc.