Gujarat becomes the biggest industrial hub by defeating Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, becomes number one state in terms of investment

Gujarat Ranks Top: Gujarat has achieved another major success in the field of investment and industrial development towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Developed India @2047’. In the country’s first Investment Friendliness Index 2026 released by NITI Aayog, Gujarat has secured the first position in the category of big states with the highest score of 56.6.

In the evaluation of 17 major states of the country, Gujarat has left Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu far behind. With this, Gujarat has further strengthened its position as the most investment friendly state of the country. The industry-friendly policies, effective administrative system and pro-investment reforms of the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel have received a big recognition through this national ranking. This index of NITI Aayog assesses states on the basis of 84 indicators and 8 main pillars.

Investors’ trust won through single window system

In this government report, Gujarat’s policy stability and easy business environment for investors have been described as the biggest strengths of the state. The state’s Industrial Extension Bureau i.e. Industrial Extension Bureau provides all kinds of help to investors with single window clearance. This has made the entire investment process very fast, transparent and simple. Apart from this, a very good system has been prepared for the industries to get NOC i.e. No Objection Certificate at the right cost and on time, which promotes ease of doing business. It has also been made clear in the report that there is no disruption from the labor side in the state due to the government stopping the strike on essential services. This environment provides a safe and stable environment to companies.

World class infrastructure and wonder of vibrant Gujarat

According to NITI Aayog, Gujarat’s strong industrial infrastructure is the real basis of investor confidence. Modern industrial clusters like Dholera SIR, GIFT City, Sanand, Dahej, Jhagariya and Saikha are offering world class plug and play facilities to investors. This has made the task of setting up and running new industries much easier. On the basis of this strong ecosystem, the state’s Vibrant Gujarat Summit has always been successful in garnering huge investments from big investors in the country and abroad. Gujarat’s performance in terms of logistics and connectivity has also been excellent. About 10 percent of the total state highway network of the entire country is in Gujarat alone, which is almost four times more than the national average. The maximum length of National Expressway is also in Gujarat, while 7 percent of the total railway network of the country comes in this state. Delivery of goods in less time and better logistics capability have strengthened the business here.

Benefit of cheap electricity and strong economic condition

Gujarat’s power sector has also been considered a major source of attracting investment. The price of electricity for factories and industries in the state is about 29 percent lower than the national average. Along with this, industries get an average of 23.8 hours of electricity supply every day, which is much better than other big states. This cheap rate and continuous supply of electricity has reduced the cost of industries. Along with this, Gujarat alone has 31 percent share in India’s total merchandise exports. The per capita GSDP of the state is Rs 2,64,232, which is 67 percent more than the average of big states. Gujarat is also far ahead in terms of financial management. The state’s fiscal deficit in the year 2024 has been the lowest, which shows its economic strength.

Innovation and new startups are getting a boost

In this report, Gujarat’s innovation and startup ecosystem has also been considered a big base for investment. By the year 2025, 614 Atal Tinkering Labs have been created in the state. With 1.24 Atal Tinkering Labs per one lakh population, Gujarat is about 19 percent ahead of the average of big states. With this excellent system, a very strong ground has been prepared for new technology and research based industries in the state. In the coming times, this ecosystem will take the development of the state to a new height.

Also read: Gujarat becomes number 1 in investment, leaves Maharashtra-Tamil Nadu behind in NITI Aayog’s ranking