Maharashtra has emerged as the top-performing state in NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, reaffirming its position as India’s leading export hub.
With a score of 68.01, the state secured first rank among large states, ahead of Tamil Nadu (64.41) and Gujarat (64.02), which followed in second and third positions respectively.
Other large states placed in the ‘Leader’ category include Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, and Telangana, reflecting their growing export potential.
In contrast, states such as Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala and West Bengal were classified as ‘Challengers’, while Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand featured among the ‘Aspirers’, indicating the need for stronger policy support and infrastructure upgrades.
Among smaller states and Union Territories, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Nagaland led the rankings, highlighting progress in building export ecosystems beyond the major industrial states.
NITI Aayog said the index is designed not merely as a ranking tool but as a diagnostic framework to help states identify gaps and adopt targeted reforms. By encouraging competitive federalism and data-driven policymaking, the EPI aims to strengthen India’s export competitiveness and support the national goal of expanding India’s share in global trade.
Four Pillar Evaluation
The EPI 2024 evaluated the export readiness and performance of states and Union Territories across four key pillars—policy and governance, export infrastructure, industrial and innovation ecosystem, and export performance—using 70 parameters.
The framework also incorporates new dimensions such as human capital, MSME ecosystem, cost competitiveness, financial access, and macroeconomic environment, making the assessment more comprehensive than previous editions.
According to the report, Maharashtra’s strong showing is driven by its diversified industrial base, robust logistics and port connectivity, business-friendly policies, and effective export promotion mechanisms. The state’s ability to combine large-scale manufacturing with innovation, finance, and human capital has helped it consistently maintain high export performance.
Aligned with India’s ambition of achieving $1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030 and the vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047,” the EPI 2024 evaluates the readiness of States and UTs to contribute to the nation’s global trade aspirations.
The Index underscores the importance of policy coherence and collaboration between the centre and states in building a competitive, resilient, and inclusive trade environment.
What did Niti Aayog CEO say?
“As India expands its network of Free Trade and Economic Partnership Agreements, the importance of strong domestic foundations only grows. For states, this means fostering ecosystems that can respond to new opportunities, align with global standards, and build competitiveness across districts,” Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said.
A significant advancement in this edition is its emphasis on districts as the core units of export competitiveness, said Sanjeet Singh, Senior Adviser at Niti Aayog.
This translates broad export goals into practical action through stronger district export promotion committees, improved logistics, focused skilling, and better support for MSME clusters, Singh added.