India's trade deficit narrowed to $17.7 billion in December from $19.3 billion in November, even after exports fell for the eighth straight month, a trade ministry official said on Friday.

Exports totalled $24.88 billion in December, down 1.9 percent on year. Imports, however, were up 6.3 percent at $42.5 billion. For the first three quarters of the fiscal year ending in March, exports totalled $214.1 billion, down 5.5 percent from a year ago.

The weakness of the export sector, which makes up one-fifth of the Indian economy, has swollen a current account deficit that hit an all time high of 5.4 percent of gross domestic product in the July-September quarter and has added to pressure on the rupee.