Merchandise exports from 143 operational SEZs totalled Rs 72,255 crore (Rs 722.55 billion) in the April-June period.
Total consignments including those from outside SEZs averaged a growth of over 40 per cent.
"Overall exports, outside the SEZs, were pushed during the first quarter of the fiscal because traders wanted to avail the benefit of tax refund DEPB scheme which is ending on September 30 this year," Federation of Indian Export Organisations President Ramu S Deora said.
Under the Duty Drawback Entitlement scheme, exporters are given refunds of tax incidence on the import content of their export products.
During 2010-11, exports from SEZs jumped 43 per cent to Rs 3.15 lakh crore (Rs 3.15 trillion) compared to Rs 2.20 lakh crore (Rs 2.2 trillion) in the previous fiscal, according to the data released by Export Promotion Council for export oriented units and special economic zones (EPCES) on Friday.
Of the 585 formally approved SEZs so far, 381 SEZs have been notified as on July 15, 2011,
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