Karnataka retains the top slot, while Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have been replaced by Telangana and Haryana in the number two and three slots, respectively, in Niti Aayog’s innovation index for 2021, released on Thursday. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are ranked in the fourth and fifth positions.

Manipur ileads the ‘North East and Hill States’ category, while Chandigarh is the top performer in the ‘Union Territories and City States’ category, Niti Aayog said in a statement.

The index, which examines innovation capacities and ecosystems at the sub-national level, has been developed on the lines of the Global Innovation Index (GII). “The third edition solidifies the scope of innovation analysis in the country by adopting the framework of the GII and expanding the number of indicators from 36 to 66 across seven key pillars,” according to the report.

India’s rank in the GII has risen consistently from 81 in 2015 to 46 in 2021.

“Innovation is critical to promoting the country’s resilience and self-reliance. The index points to the decentralisation of innovation across the states,” said Neeraj Sinha. a senior adviser at the Aayog. According to Amit Kapoor, who is also instrumental in preparing the India index, the 2021 edition draws some international parallels, which will add to the country’s learnings.

The India Innovation Index is a comprehensive tool for the evaluation and development of the country’s innovation ecosystem. It ranks the states and the union territories on their innovation performance to encourage competition amongst them, the official statement said. The index also contributes to the government’s efforts to monitor select global indices to drive the Reform and Growth (GIRG) mechanism, for which the Niti Aayog is the nodal organisation.

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