SYLLABUS

GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.

Context: NITI Aayog has released the fourth edition of the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 to benchmark Indian states and Union Territories (UTs) on their readiness to drive and sustain global trade.

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• The Index recognises the diversity of subnational economic structures and their critical role in advancing India’s global trade ambitions.
• Index is aligned with India’s objective of achieving USD 1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030 and the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
• The Index identifies key structural challenges, growth levers, and policy opportunities for enhancing export competitiveness at the State and district levels.
• The first edition of the EPI was published in August 2020.

Framework and Coverage

• 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.
• The EPI 2024 evaluates performance across four primary pillars, comprising 13 sub-pillars and 70 indicators:  

Categorization of States/UTs & their Performance

• For comparative assessment and peer learning, States and UTs have been categorised into Large States and Small States, North East States & Union Territories. 

• Within each category, they are further classified as – 

• Leaders (relatively high export preparedness)
• Challengers (moderate preparedness and scope for improvement)
• Aspirers (early stages of export ecosystem development) 

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

A. Large States

B. Small States, North-Eastern States & Union Territories

India Exports – Trends

• India’s total exports have touched an all-time high of US$824.9 billion in the financial year 2024–25, as per the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India.
• This marks a growth of 6.01% over the previous year’s export figure of US$778.1 billion, setting a new milestone in the country’s trade trajectory.
• Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu continue to be India’s top exporting states, collectively accounting for approximately 56% of the country’s total exports.  

Source: 
Ibef
PIB