New Delhi, Jan 14 (UNI) Maharashtra has emerged as India’s most export-ready large state, topping the NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, followed by Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, according to the report released on Tuesday.
Among large states, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Telangana were also classified as “Leaders”, reflecting strong performance across export infrastructure, policy support, industrial ecosystem and export outcomes. Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala and West Bengal were placed in the “Challenger” category, indicating growing export potential but continuing gaps in logistics, cost competitiveness and MSME integration.
Releasing the report, NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said the global environment remained highly volatile but also offered new openings for countries willing to adapt. “The world is passing through very turbulent times,” he said, adding that the disruption had created “opportunities for nations to break through.”
Subrahmanyam stressed that exports are a key driver of economic growth and central to India’s long-term ambitions. Exports, he said, are fundamental to India’s goal of becoming a USD30-trillion economy, with overseas shipments expected to account for USD7.5 trillion, or about 25 per cent of GDP.
“States have a major role to play in this effort,” the NITI Aayog CEO said, adding that the Export Preparedness Index 2024 provides clear pointers on how states can push their exports, strengthen competitiveness and integrate more deeply with global markets.
Prepared by NITI Aayog with support from Deloitte, the EPI 2024 assesses export preparedness of States and union Territories over FY 2022–FY 2024, using a framework of 70 indicators across four pillars—policy and governance, export infrastructure, industrial and innovation ecosystem, and export performance.
States were first grouped into large states and small states, North-East and union Territories, and then ranked as Leaders, Challengers or Aspirers based on various parameters.
Among large states, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand were categorised as “Aspirers”, reflecting limited export diversification, weaker logistics networks and lower participation in global value chains.
In the small states, North-East and UTs category, Uttarakhand topped the rankings, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, and Goa.
However, regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Lakshadweep remained in the Aspirer category, highlighting persistent regional issues.
The EPI 2024 introduces five new dimensions, including human capital, macroeconomic stability, MSME ecosystem, cost competitiveness and access to finance, while streamlining earlier indicators.
NITI Aayog said the revised framework is designed to offer actionable, state-level policy guidance, underlining that India’s export expansion will increasingly hinge on reforms undertaken by states rather than central policy alone.
