In a development that has raised concerns among policymakers and industry leaders, Haryana has slipped to the 10th position in the latest Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2026 released by NITI Aayog. Previously ranked among the top five states, Haryana’s decline highlights emerging challenges in its export ecosystem, infrastructure, and policy implementation compared to coastal states and other landlocked competitors.
Key Findings of the Report The EPI evaluates states on four pillars: Policy, Business Ecosystem, Export Ecosystem, and Export Performance.
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The Drop: While Haryana maintained a strong score in ‘Export Performance’—thanks to its robust automobile and IT sectors—it lagged in the ‘Export Ecosystem’ and ‘Business Ecosystem’ pillars.
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Landlocked Disadvantage: As a landlocked state, Haryana faces higher logistical costs. The report noted that states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat continue to dominate due to port proximity, but other landlocked states like Uttar Pradesh and Telangana have made significant strides, overtaking Haryana in specific sub-indices.
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Infrastructure Bottlenecks: The report pointed out that while Haryana has excellent highway connectivity, there is a need for more Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and specialized testing labs for agro-exports to facilitate smoother trade.
Industrial and Political Reaction Industry bodies like PHDCCI and CII have expressed that while the state remains an industrial powerhouse, the “ease of doing business” needs a fresh push. “We need to diversify our export basket. Currently, a large chunk of our exports is concentrated in the automobile sector and Basmati rice. To climb back up, we must incentivize electronics and pharmaceutical exports,” said a local industry representative.
Opposition leaders have criticized the government, alleging that the “slowdown in industrial reforms” and “rising operational costs” are driving investors toward other states.
Government’s Roadmap for Recovery Responding to the rankings, a spokesperson for the Haryana Government stated that the state is already working on the Haryana Export Promotion Policy 2026.
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Logistics Hubs: The development of the Integrated Multi-Modal Logistics Hub in Nangal Chaudhary is being fast-tracked to reduce transit times.
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Districts as Export Hubs: Under the Central Government’s ‘Districts as Export Hubs’ scheme, Haryana is identifying unique products from each district to promote on the global stage.
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Incentives: New subsidies for freight and international marketing are expected to be announced in the upcoming state budget.
