The week in charts: Exports rebound, tourism drag, nuclear shift, lower unemployment

From a sharp rebound in exports and an easing unemployment rate to a slowdown in foreign tourist arrivals, a landmark opening up of the nuclear power sector to private players, and renewed concerns over rising state-level debt—here's a compilation of this week's news in numbers. ## Trade reset India’s merchandise exports rose to $38 billion in November, posting year-on-year growth of 19.36%—the strongest since June 2022. Notably, the US shifted from being a drag in recent months to a key contributor, with shipments rebounding after two consecutive months of decline despite higher tariffs remaining in place. Exports to the US grew 22.6% during the month. Further support came from strong export growth to China (90.1%) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (13.14%). The strong growth in exports and a 1.89% decline in imports helped narrow the trade deficit to $24.53 billion from $41.68 billion in October. ## Easing unemployment India’s unemployment rate eased to 4.7% in November, marking its lowest level since the statistics ministry began releasing monthly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data in April. The decline was broad-based as joblessness eased for men and women in both rural and urban areas. In rural areas, male unemployment fell to 4.1% in November from 4.6% in October, and female joblessness dropped to 3.4% from 4.0%, reversing earlier increases. In urban areas, unemployment for men eased to 5.6% from 6.1% in October. While the unemployment rate for urban women eased to 9.3% from 9.7%, it continued to paint a bleak picture of high joblessness among the group. ## Tourism trouble India's tourism industry is facing another tough year in 2025. Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) have struggled in the first nine months and are likely to fall short of pre-pandemic levels. Persistent issues like high costs, infrastructure gaps, and safety concerns have been compounded by a sharp drop in visitors from Bangladesh. Data shared in Parliament shows FTAs stood at 6.18 million in January-September, which is 12% lower than the year-ago period. Even as the last quarter is considered good for tourism, accounting for 30% of annual arrivals, the numbers are likely to fall short of 10 million in 2024, at around 8.7-8.8 million, Mint analysis showed. ## Numbers talk -0.32%: The rate of wholesale price inflation in November. While the inflation remained in the negative zone, it has increased from December’s -1.21%, reflecting a rise in price pressures in food articles and electricity. 125 days: Number of work days, which the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or the VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, has proposed. The scheme will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), which guaranteed 100 work days. $58.5 million: The amount of funds raised by solar solutions provider Candi Solar in a round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, taking its total capital raised to over $200 million. 50%: The capacity at which Delhi offices will be allowed to operate from Thursday due to alarming pollution levels. The air quality index is currently hovering around the very poor category. 100%: The new foreign direct investment (FDI) allowed in the insurance sector, passed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, raising it from 74% earlier. This is expected to increase insurance coverage and make premiums affordable. ## Power play The Lok Sabha passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (Shanti) Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, opening up nuclear power generation to private companies for the first time. It permits firms to build, operate, and decommission plants, while exempting suppliers from liability in nuclear incidents—a move aimed at attracting global investment. The bill is aimed at supporting India’s goal of 100GW nuclear capacity by 2047 and permits research, development, and innovation in nuclear and radiation technologies without licensing. India’s current nuclear capacity stands at 8.8GW, nearly doubling from 4.8GW in 2014. The US, the UK, Japan, and Germany are among 30-plus countries that allow private companies in the nuclear space. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday stressed the need for coordinated action to rein in debt at both central and state levels, while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha. She noted that although the Centre has successfully curtailed the pandemic-era rise in its debt, several states continue to carry heavy fiscal burdens. According to the latest available data, among the top 10 states by GSDP in 2022-23, West Bengal topped the list with a debt-to-GSDP ratio of 39.5%, followed by Rajasthan (37.3%), Andhra Pradesh (33.0%), Tamil Nadu (32.0%), and Uttar Pradesh (30.2%), underscoring the urgent need for fiscal consolidation.