Maharashtra beats Tamil Nadu as India's most export-ready state

In a significant shift for India’s trade landscape, Maharashtra has overtaken Tamil Nadu to secure the #1 rank in the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, released by NITI Aayog on January 14, 2026.

While Tamil Nadu held the top spot in the previous edition, Maharashtra’s multifaceted economic strategy has propelled it back to the lead among large states.

The 2024 Leaderboard

The index evaluates states based on policy, infrastructure, and business ecosystems. The current top five are:

Maharashtra (Up from 2nd)

Tamil Nadu (Down from 1st)

Gujarat (Up from 4th)

Uttar Pradesh (Big jump from 7th)

Andhra Pradesh (Up from 8th)

Why Maharashtra Won

Maharashtra’s success is driven by a "Business Ecosystem" score that outperformed its peers. Key factors include:

Sector Diversity: Dominance in automobiles, engineering, chemicals, pharma, and IT.

MSME Strength: A massive network of small-scale industries that support global supply chains.

Financial Access: Superior availability of credit and export-oriented financing.

Economic Scale: As a state contributing 13% to India’s GDP, its sheer scale provides an unmatched foundation for trade.

Notable Trends

The Landlocked Challenger: Uttar Pradesh was the standout performer, jumping to 4th place. This highlights that coastal access is no longer the only path to export success; infrastructure and policy can bridge the gap.

Ready vs. Performing: Interestingly, while Maharashtra is the most "ready," its actual export value dipped by 7.3% in FY24 due to global slumps in Gems & Jewellery. This proves that while the state has the best tools, it remains sensitive to global market volatility.

The Bottom Line

The 2024 rankings signal a new era of "competitive federalism." As Maharashtra sharpens its lead and states like UP rise rapidly, India is building a more resilient, multi-state engine for global trade.