NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Institute of Competitiveness, will released the second edition of the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2021.
The first Index was launched in August 2020
About EPI
The Export Preparedness Index ranks all States and Union Territories (UTs) on the basis of their export readiness and performance.
EPI 2021 is based on four main pillars: policy; business ecosystem; export ecosystem; and export performance.
The index identifies three major challenges to India’s export promotion efforts. These are -
intra- and inter-regional differences in export infrastructure;
weak trade support and growth orientation across States; and
lack of R&D infrastructure to promote complex and unique exports
Highlights of the 2021 Report
Gujarat has been named India’s top State in terms of export preparedness for the second year in a row as per an index.
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu were ranked second, third and fourth in the index, as coastal States with higher industrial activity and access to sea ports account for a majority of India’s exports.
Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been ranked fifth, sixth and seventh in the overall index, but are the top three performers in export preparedness among land-locked States.
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura have been ranked as the top three Himalayan States in export preparedness.
Delhi, Goa and Jammu & Kashmir have been rated the best performers in descending order in the ‘Union Territories and City States’ category, as per the index.
Importance
The index can be used by States and UTs to benchmark their performance against their peers and analyze the potential challenges to develop better policy mechanisms to foster export-led growth at the subnational level.