An Indian sales clerk displays gold necklaces at a shop in Jammu yesterday. India's trade deficit in April widened to a three-month high as export growth slowed and gold imports surged. Outbound shipments last month rose 1.7 percent to US$24.2 billion from a year earlier, while imports jumped 11 percent to US$42 billion, Anup Pujari, director-general of foreign trade, said in New Delhi yesterday. The shortfall was US$17.8 billion, compared with US$10.31 billion in March. Gold and silver imports more than doubled to US$7.5 billion in April from a year ago. Yesterday marked the Hindu festival "Akshay Tritiya," considered auspicious for buying gold among other things.