India, Jan. 15 -- Export preparedness across Northeast India presents a mixed picture, with states like Nagaland, Tripura, and Assam emerging as regional leaders, while others continue to struggle with infrastructure gaps, limited value addition, and low export volumes, according to the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2024 released by NITI Aayog.

The index ranks states and Union Territories based on export infrastructure, business ecosystem, policy and governance, and export performance. Among the Northeast states, Nagaland (Rank 3), Tripura (Rank 6), and Assam (Rank 7) have been classified as "Leaders" in the Small States, NE & UTs category, reflecting relatively stronger export ecosystems.

Overall, Nagaland is ranked 18th in the count...