The NITI Aayog released its Export Preparedness Index 2024 on Wednesday, revealing Maharashtra as the top performer among large states. Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh followed closely behind in the rankings.
State Performance Across Categories
Government think tank NITI Aayog divided states into two main categories for this comprehensive assessment. Large states formed one group, while small states, northeastern states, and union territories comprised the second category.
Among smaller states and union territories, Uttarakhand claimed the top position. Jammu & Kashmir secured second place, followed by Nagaland, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, and Goa in subsequent positions.
Classification Framework
The index further classified states into three distinct groups based on their performance. These categories include leaders, challengers, and aspirers. This classification helps identify states at different stages of export readiness and development.
NITI Aayog designed the index to pinpoint key structural challenges that states face. It also highlights growth levers and policy opportunities that can enhance export competitiveness at both state and district levels.
Comprehensive Assessment Framework
The Export Preparedness Index employs a detailed framework covering four major pillars. These include export infrastructure, business ecosystem, policy and governance, and export performance.
These pillars break down into thirteen sub-pillars and seventy specific parameters. The 2024 edition introduces several new indicators to provide more comprehensive analysis.
New assessment areas now include macroeconomy factors, cost competitiveness measurements, human capital evaluation, financial access indicators, and MSME ecosystem analysis.
Official Perspectives
NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam emphasized the growing importance of state-level preparedness. He stated that India's export trajectory increasingly depends on how well states and districts prepare themselves for global trade.
Subrahmanyam highlighted several critical focus areas for improvement. These include strengthening export infrastructure, enhancing cost competitiveness, building robust institutions, and creating predictable policy environments.
The CEO stressed that enhancing export readiness at subnational levels remains essential for multiple reasons. Sustaining long-term growth, generating employment opportunities, reducing regional disparities, and achieving deeper integration into global value chains all depend on state-level preparedness, especially during periods of global volatility.
Strategic Importance
Subrahmanyam elaborated on the strategic significance of state-level export readiness. He noted that harnessing 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 becomes crucial. Diversifying capabilities and nurturing enabling environments will prove essential for sustaining long-term growth according to the NITI Aayog CEO.
Index Background
The Export Preparedness Index represents a comprehensive assessment of export readiness across India's states and union territories. NITI Aayog published the first edition of this index in August 2020.
The 2024 release marks the fourth edition of this important assessment tool. Each edition has refined the methodology and expanded the parameters to provide more accurate and actionable insights into state-level export capabilities.
