Export Preparedness Index 2024: NITI Aayog Report, State Rankings and Key Indicators
Category: Indian Economy — Exports and Competitive Federalism
The Export Preparedness Index (EPI) evaluates how well Indian states and Union Territories are equipped to promote exports. NITI Aayog released the 2024 edition in January 2026.
Key facts
Publishing organisation: NITI Aayog.
Coverage: Indian states and Union Territories.
Purpose: To assess export readiness, identify structural bottlenecks and encourage states to improve their export ecosystems.
The framework uses four major pillars.
Pillar | Weight |
|---|---|
Export Infrastructure | 20% |
Business Ecosystem | 40% |
Policy and Governance | 20% |
Export Performance | 20% |
Top-performing large states
According to the EPI 2024 report:
Rank | State | Score |
|---|---|---|
1 | Maharashtra | 68.01 |
2 | Tamil Nadu | 64.41 |
3 | Gujarat | 64.02 |
4 | Uttar Pradesh | 62.09 |
5 | Andhra Pradesh | 60.65 |
Punjab ranked seventh among the large states, with a score of 58.32.
Importance
Encourages competitive federalism.
Helps states identify gaps in logistics, infrastructure, business support and export promotion.
Supports district-level export planning and the development of export-oriented industries.
Helps connect local production clusters with national and international markets.
UPSC key pointers
EPI is published by NITI Aayog.
The 2024 edition was released in January 2026.
Business Ecosystem has the highest weight, at 40%.
Maharashtra ranked first among large states.
Export preparedness is broader than the value of exports alone; it also measures the capacity and ecosystem needed to sustain export growth.
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