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Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024
- 19 Jan 2026
- 3 min read
NITI Aayog has released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024, assessing the export readiness of States and Union Territories, highlighting their critical role in achieving India’s USD 1 trillion merchandise export target by 2030 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
- Export Preparedness Index (EPI): First launched in 2020, the EPI assesses State and district-level export readiness through an evidence-based framework.
- It highlights the role of States and districts in driving exports, jobs, and global value chain integration, with emphasis on infrastructure, competitiveness, and cluster-led strategies.
- The Index links federalism with economic performance and highlights district-led export growth, supporting Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, MSMEs, and trade competitiveness.
- Framework and Coverage of EPI 2024: It is structured around 4 pillars, 13 sub-pillars, and 70 indicators.
- The four core pillars are Export Infrastructure, Business Ecosystem, Policy & Governance, and Export Performance.
- Among these, the Business Ecosystem carries the highest weightage (40%), while the other three pillars have 20% each, highlighting the growing importance of cost efficiency, MSMEs, access to finance, and innovation in strengthening export competitiveness.
- For comparative assessment, States and UTs are grouped into Large States, Small States, North-Eastern States, and Union Territories, and classified as Leaders (High export preparedness), Challengers (Moderate preparedness with scope for improvement), and Aspirers (Early-stage export ecosystems) promoting peer learning, cooperative federalism, and focused reforms.
- The four core pillars are Export Infrastructure, Business Ecosystem, Policy & Governance, and Export Performance.
- EPI 2024 Top Performing States and UTs: The top-performing Large States are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh, while the leading Small States, North-Eastern States, and Union Territories include Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Goa.
| Read more: Reimagining India's Export Pathway |
