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Gujarat Leads Investment Friendliness Index

Gujarat tops NITI Aayog's index, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu follow. No state scores above 60.

Mumbai Alert · Markets Desk
Mumbai Alert · Markets Desk
Markets Desk · Mumbai Alert News · Sat, 18 July 2026 at 01:13 pm
Gujarat Leads Investment Friendliness Index

Gujarat has emerged as the top performer in NITI Aayog's first Investment Friendliness Index, which assessed 36 states and Union Territories across 84 indicators. The index evaluated states on eight key areas, including infrastructure, business climate, and regulatory ease.

The index classified five states - Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu - as 'top performers' after they scored above 50. Among the 17 large states evaluated, Gujarat secured the highest position with a score of 56.6, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Odisha ranked fourth with 52.4 points.

In the category covering 12 hilly and northeastern states, Uttarakhand emerged as the leader with 47.5 points, followed by Assam and Himachal Pradesh. Among seven city states and Union Territories, Goa topped the list with a score of 53.1, ahead of Delhi and Chandigarh.

The index measured states on eight pillars, including infrastructure, business climate, resources, government policies, regulatory ease, financial health, institutional environment, and environmental resilience. Gujarat led large states in the infrastructure category, with 13.7 points due to factors such as efficient ports and reliable electricity supply.

Maharashtra emerged as the leader among large states in the business climate category, supported by its strong private equity and venture capital ecosystem and extensive innovation infrastructure. Delhi topped the city-state category, while Sikkim led among northeastern and hilly states.

The index aims to provide policymakers with insights into investment readiness and encourage states to improve their business ecosystems, infrastructure, and governance systems. NITI Aayog clarified that the index is not intended as a ranking competition but as a tool to help states identify strengths and areas requiring improvement.

The Investment Friendliness Index is a significant step towards promoting investment and economic growth in the country. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each state, the index can help policymakers create a more conducive business environment and attract investments.

The index also highlights the importance of infrastructure, business climate, and regulatory ease in attracting investments. States that perform well in these areas are likely to attract more investments and experience economic growth.

In conclusion, Gujarat's top position in the Investment Friendliness Index is a significant achievement, and the state's strong infrastructure and business climate are major factors contributing to its success. The index provides valuable insights for policymakers and can help states improve their investment readiness and promote economic growth.

The release of the Investment Friendliness Index is a positive step towards promoting investment and economic growth in the country. It is expected to encourage states to improve their business ecosystems and attract investments, leading to economic growth and development.

The index is also expected to help states identify areas requiring improvement and work towards creating a more conducive business environment. This can lead to increased investments, job creation, and economic growth, ultimately benefiting the people of the country.

Overall, the Investment Friendliness Index is a significant initiative that can help promote investment and economic growth in the country. Its release is a positive step towards creating a more conducive business environment and attracting investments, leading to economic growth and development.

The index's findings are also significant for Maharashtra, which ranked second among large states. The state's strong business climate and extensive innovation infrastructure are major factors contributing to its success. Maharashtra's performance in the index highlights the importance of creating a conducive business environment and promoting investment in the state.

In the coming years, it is expected that the Investment Friendliness Index will play a crucial role in promoting investment and economic growth in the country. The index's findings will help policymakers create a more conducive business environment, attract investments, and promote economic growth, ultimately benefiting the people of the country.

The index's release is also significant for the city states and Union Territories, which were evaluated separately. Goa's top position among city states highlights the importance of creating a conducive business environment and promoting investment in these regions.

In conclusion, the Investment Friendliness Index is a significant initiative that can help promote investment and economic growth in the country. Its release is a positive step towards creating a more conducive business environment and attracting investments, leading to economic growth and development.

What it means for the country is that the index will provide valuable insights for policymakers to improve the business ecosystem, infrastructure, and governance systems, leading to increased investments, job creation, and economic growth, ultimately benefiting the people of the country.

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