NITI Aayog's Investment Friendliness Index 2026: Gujarat Tops, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Follow
NITI Aayog released the Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) 2026 in July 2026, a data-driven framework assessing the capability of States and Union Territories to attract and sustain investment. Top rankings: Gujarat topped both the large-States category and the overall ranking with a score of 56.6, followed by Maharashtra (53.7) at 2nd and Tamil Nadu (53.3) at 3rd. Goa ranked 4th (53.1) and Odisha 5th (52.4). Together the top 5 States account for 85% of total FDI inflows into India. Bottom rankings: Lakshadweep ranked lowest with 24.5, preceded by Ladakh (35th, 27.0), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (34th, 30.2), Manipur (33rd, 32.3) and Sikkim (32nd, 36.6). Classification: 5 States are 'Top Performers' — Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu; 15 States/UTs are 'Front Runners' (including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh); and 8 States/UTs are 'Emerging' — Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Punjab and West Bengal.
NITI Aayog established 1 January 2015 | Other NITI Aayog indices: SDG India Index, Composite Water Management Index, India Innovation Index, National Multidimensional Poverty Index, Export Preparedness Index | FDI in India regulated under FEMA, 1999; policy framed by DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Gujarat topped NITI Aayog's Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) 2026 with a score of 56.6, ahead of Maharashtra (53.7) and Tamil Nadu (53.3). • The top 5 States — Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu — account for 85% of India's total FDI inflows, while Lakshadweep (24.5) ranked lowest.