Chandigarh, Jan 17 (PTI) Punjab has been recognised as a "leader state" in the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 released by NITI Aayog, state Industries and Commerce Minister Sanjeev Arora said on Saturday.

He said Punjab ranked second among landlocked states, a notable achievement as most of the top-ranked states are coastal with direct access to seaports.

The Export Preparedness Index is a data-driven framework developed by NITI Aayog to assess the export readiness of states and Union Territories on parameters such as policy framework, business environment, export ecosystem, and export performance.

The EPI 2024 report was released by NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam and Member Arvind Virmani, who praised Punjab for its improved performance driven by stronger policies, infrastructure development and a growing export ecosystem, Arora said.

Despite being landlocked, Punjab has addressed logistical challenges through focused policy interventions, improved connectivity and infrastructure upgrades, Arora said.

He attributed the state's progress to sector-specific industrial policies, ease-of-doing-business reforms, institutional strengthening and support to MSMEs and exporters.

Arora said the Punjab government remains committed to further strengthening export-oriented infrastructure to enhance the state's contribution to India's global trade growth. PTI VSD TRB

Punjab named leader state in Export Preparedness Index; policy reforms and infrastructure upgrades boosted export readiness. Punjab was named a leader state in the Export Preparedness Index 2024 for improvements across policy framework, business environment, export ecosystem and export performance, ranking second among landlocked states. The state's progress is attributed to sector-specific industrial policies, ease-of-doing-business reforms, institutional strengthening, MSME support, and infrastructure and connectivity upgrades addressing logistical constraints to enhance export readiness.