The export readiness of states is too local a lens

Niti Aayog's new report on Indian preparedness for global trade has some useful cues but misses the big picture in its state and district level analysis. Success demands a wider view

- 

One characteristic of this era of social media, globally, has been an erosion in the credibility of expertise. Niti Aayog's Export Preparedness Index 2024, a laborious attempt to measure how ready India's different states are to generate exports, is not designed to counter that trend.

Released last week, it delves into the export readiness of states classified as 'large,' comprising 17 of them, and the rest-based on four pillars with 13 sub-pillars and as many as 70 parameters. Evidently, a lot of work has gone into it. Unfortunately, though, a missing macroeconomic perspective on export success dims the glow of its little gems of fact and insight.