CHENNAI: Maharashtra has emerged as the most export-ready large state in India, securing the top position in NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2024 and displacing Tamil Nadu from a slot it had held for several years, in a shift that reflects how the geography of India’s trade competitiveness is gradually broadening. The latest edition of the index shows Maharashtra consolidating its advantage across governance, infrastructure, industrial depth and export outcomes at a time when global trade conditions remain uncertain and competition for markets is intensifying.
The index, which evaluates states on a wide set of indicators covering policy frameworks, logistics, industrial ecosystems and actual export performance, is intended to capture not just how much a state exports but how well it is positioned to grow exports sustainably. Maharashtra’s rise to the top signals that it has been able to combine its long-established role as a commercial and financial hub with a more focused push on export-oriented manufacturing, services and logistics. Ports, airports, industrial corridors, digital governance systems and access to finance have all come together to strengthen the state’s ability to connect local producers with global markets.
A key driver of Maharashtra’s lead has been the breadth of its export base. From automobiles, engineering goods and chemicals to pharmaceuticals, information technology and business services, the state benefits from a mix of high-value manufacturing and services that cushions it against volatility in any one sector. Mumbai and Pune continue to anchor financial, technology and design capabilities, while industrial belts across the state support large exporters and a growing ecosystem of smaller firms feeding into global supply chains. This diversity has helped Maharashtra score well not only on current export performance but also on future readiness.
Tamil Nadu, which slipped to second place, remains one of India’s strongest export engines, particularly in automobiles, electronics, machinery and textiles. Its displacement does not reflect a collapse in its export capacity but rather the faster relative gains made by Maharashtra in areas such as infrastructure integration, institutional support for exporters and the ease with which businesses can scale up for overseas markets. Gujarat, close behind in third place, continues to leverage its ports, energy and petrochemical base, and pro-business regulatory environment, while other large states have also made visible progress.
One of the more striking signals from the latest index is that export competitiveness is no longer concentrated in just a few coastal or historically industrialised regions. Several states that were once seen as peripheral to India’s export story have strengthened their industrial ecosystems, logistics networks and policy frameworks, allowing them to gain ground. This reflects the impact of national initiatives to improve connectivity, reduce transaction costs and encourage states to develop sector-specific export strategies.
For policymakers, Maharashtra’s ascent underscores the importance of coordinated action across departments rather than isolated incentives. The state has invested heavily in logistics and industrial parks, streamlined clearances, and aligned its policies with national export promotion schemes, creating a more predictable and efficient environment for exporters. This matters in a global environment where buyers are increasingly sensitive not just to price but to reliability, compliance and speed.
The broader significance of the index lies in how it encourages competitive federalism. By publicly benchmarking states against each other, it pushes governments to identify gaps in infrastructure, skills, finance and governance that hold back exporters. In a period when India is seeking to deepen its participation in global value chains and leverage new trade agreements, such internal competition can become a powerful tool for raising overall national export capacity.
Maharashtra’s new ranking, therefore, is not just a symbolic victory over a long-time rival. It reflects a deeper shift in how export readiness is being built through policy consistency, infrastructure, human capital and industrial diversification. At the same time, the narrowing gap among the leading states suggests that India’s export growth in the coming years is likely to be driven by a wider set of regions, making the country’s trade base more resilient and less dependent on a handful of traditional powerhouses.