Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu & Gujarat among top states in Niti's export index

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra emerged as the top performer among large states followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh in the export preparedness index released by govt's policy think tank Niti Aayog on Wednesday.

Uttarakhand topped the list followed by J&K, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Goa among small states, north eastern states and UTs.

States have been divided into two categories - large states and small states, north eastern states and UTs. States have been classified into leaders, challengers, and aspirers.

The index identifies key structural challenges, growth levers, and policy opportunities for enhancing export competitiveness at the state and district levels.

The index framework includes export infrastructure, business ecosystem, policy and governance, and export performance. These are divided into 13 sub-pillars and 70 parameters. New indicators such as macroeconomy, cost competitiveness, human capital, financial access, and MSME ecosystem.

NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam said India's export trajectory is increasingly shaped by preparedness of states and districts. Emphasis was placed on strengthening export infrastructure, improving cost competitiveness, building robust institutions, and fostering predictable and transparent policy environments. He said enhancing export readiness at subnational level was essential for sustaining long-term growth, employment generation, reduction of regional disparities, and deeper integration into global value chains amid heightened global volatility.

"Harnessing the power of competitive cooperative governance has become increasingly important as India positions itself more firmly within global value chains. With states playing a central role in shaping the country's export momentum, their ability to channel regional strengths, diversify capabilities, and nurture an enabling environment will be essential to sustaining long term growth," said Subrahmanyam.

The Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, is a comprehensive assessment of export readiness across the country's states and UTs. The first edition of the EPI was published in Aug 2020 and this is the fourth edition.