Sub-national competitiveness analysis and simulation studies for 35 states and union territories of India

This paper uses the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) competitiveness index to rank the competitiveness of the 35 states and union territories of India and conducts simulation studies to recognise how each state or union territory can improve its competitiveness. The results highlight, in general, a distinct pattern of high competitiveness in the western and the southern states of the country. A similar geographic concentration emerges with the north-eastern states characterised by their low competitiveness. Paradoxically, the mineral-rich states in eastern India rank in the Bottom-10 though access to rich natural resources present several areas of opportunity for the development of these states.