Gujarat has been named India’s top State in terms of export preparedness for the second year in a row as per an index released by the NITI Aayog on Friday.

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.

The Export Preparedness Index for 2021 is based on States’ ratings on four major parameters pertaining to exports promotion and facilitation, including policy support, business and export ecosystem and the actual performance in outbound shipments

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,” the Aayog said in a statement.

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