Telangana ranks 4th in first-ever Innovative Index by NITI Aayog; AP places tenth

Hyderabad: Telangana ranks fourth among the major states in NITI Aayog’s first-ever ‘India Innovation Index’. At the same time, Andhra Pradesh placed tenth in the list. Karnataka, with its more significant IT hub at Bengaluru, tops the chart. Bihar, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh fall behind on the list.

India’s think-tank NITI Aayog conducted the ‘Innovative Index’ with 29 states, analysing and enhancing the innovative environment at the state level. The two parameters on which the states were evaluated are — (a) enablers: factors that will drive innovation in states and UTs (b) Performance: that will measure the incomes in the competitiveness of states.

The ranking has been done in three categories —major cities, North East and hill states, and Union Territories (UTs) and small states. Delhi topped the UT category while Sikkim the North East.

In terms of attracting investments, Telangana is ranked seventh while AP did not feature in the list. The top slot was bagged by Karnataka, followed by Maharashtra, Haryana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Bihar, Jharkhand and Punjab trailed in the list. The first-ever evaluation is done parallel the Global Innovative Index. NITI Aayog attempted to create a framework for the assessment of the innovative environment of 29 states.

Rajiv Kumar, Chairman of NITI Aayog, in a statement, said that the index would drive an innovation culture across Indian states and help create a conducive ecosystem. “The index will not only help states to device their independent strategy for fostering an innovative climate but will also help them benchmark their performance with other states,” he added.