NITI Aayog released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, a comprehensive assessment of export readiness across India’s States and Union Territories (UTs). The Index recognises the diversity of subnational economic structures and their critical role in advancing India’s global trade ambitions. The first edition of the EPI was published in August 2020 and this is the 4^th edition.

Aligned with India’s objective of achieving USD 1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the Export Preparedness Index provides an evidence-based framework to evaluate the strength, resilience, and inclusiveness of subnational export ecosystems. The Index identifies key structural challenges, growth levers, and policy opportunities for enhancing export competitiveness at the State and district levels.

At the release, CEO, NITI Aayog, highlighted that India’s export trajectory is increasingly shaped by the 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. Enhancing export readiness at the subnational level was noted as essential for sustaining long-term growth, employment generation, reduction of regional disparities, and deeper integration into global value chains amid heightened global volatility. Dr. Arvind Virmani, Member, emphasized on the role of the states and UTs in sustaining and amplifying this momentum by  identifying  strengths, addressing structural gaps, and designing strategies to leverage new trade opportunities. Dr. Virmani further reiterated PM’s call for the quality of products for competitiveness.

I. Framework and Coverage

The Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 is structured around four pillars, further disaggregated into 13 sub-pillars and 70 indicators, enabling a granular and policy-relevant assessment of export preparedness.

Pillars of Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024

Export Infrastructure	Business Ecosystem	Policy & Governance	Export Performance
Trade & Logistics Infrastructure	Access to Finance	State Export Policy	Export Outcomes
Connectivity & Utilities	Human Capital	Institutional Capacity	Export Diversification
Industrial Infrastructure	MSME Ecosystem	Trade Facilitation	Global Integration

The 2024 edition strengthens analytical depth through the inclusion of new dimensions such as macroeconomic stability, cost competitiveness, human capital, financial access, and the MSME ecosystem, while refining existing indicators to enhance precision and policy relevance.

II. Classification of States and Union Territories

For comparative assessment and peer learning, States and UTs have been categorised into Large States & Small States, North East States and Union Territories. Within each category, they are further classified as Leaders, Challengers, and Aspirers.

Performance Classification under EPI 2024:

Category	Description
Leaders	States/UTs demonstrating relatively high export preparedness
Challengers	States/UTs with moderate preparedness and scope for improvement
Aspirers	States/UTs at early stages of export ecosystem development

Greater emphasis has been placed on districts as the core units of export competitiveness, translating national export objectives into actionable, place-based strategies anchored in local capabilities, industrial clusters, and value-chain linkages.

III. Methodology and Data Sources

The Export Preparedness Index 2024 follows a data-driven, indicator-based methodology, drawing upon official datasets from Central Ministries, State Governments, and public institutions. Indicators are normalised and aggregated using appropriate statistical techniques, with balanced weightages assigned across pillars and sub-pillars to reflect their relative contribution to export preparedness.

Methodological refinements introduced in the 2024 edition aim to enhance robustness, comparability, and policy relevance. Detailed methodology, indicator definitions, and State-wise results are provided in the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 Report.

 

Pillar	Weightage	Sub-pillars
Export Infrastructure	20%	Utilities
		Logistics
Business Ecosystem	40%	Macroeconomy
		Cost competitiveness
		Human capital
		Finance and credit accessibility
		MSME ecosystem
		Industrial and innovation environment
Policy and Governance	20%	State level policy support and governance
		Regulatory environment and compliance
Export Performance	20%	State level exports and trends
		Export promotion and facilitation
		Export portfolio and market access

IV. Top Performing States and Union Territories

Based on the overall assessment under EPI 2024, the following States and UTs have emerged as leading performers in their respective categories:

Leading Performers – Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024

A. Large States

1. Maharashtra
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Gujarat
4. Uttar Pradesh
5. Andhra Pradesh

B. Small States, North Eastern States & Union Territories

1. Uttarakhand
2. Jammu and Kashmir
3. Nagaland
4. Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
5. Goa

(Detailed scores, indicator-level performance, and State-wise profiles are provided in the link to the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 Report.

Access the full report here: https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2026-01/Export_Preparedness_Index_2024.pdf

 

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