India’s Best and Worst Governed States: Top and Bottom 3

[Lone Wolf]

9 minutes ago, mishra said:

I have considered relative growth vis a vis, sepratism, anarchism, regionalism and treatment towards Bharat culture along with how openly criminals are free. A place like West Bengal, and TamilNadu should be way ahead of the rest when it comes to education or earning.

West Bengal has lost everything (Reason is Bangladesh, smuggling, infiltration and standard Bhadralok wont listen to anyone) Punjab has lost everythng (Reason is Pakistan actively working with British to create insurgency in whole region)

 

Tamilnadu has no such border issue. But it still suffers from regionalism. Has displayed least if not zero responsibity towards nation building, All the infra projects(You just have to look at it and can tell how the hell engineer passed the design), Hero worship, anti Brahmin movement, anti Hindi Movement. Think Some DMK leader was caught as drug king pin(similar issue as Punjab). AKa Drug problem. Some protests every month.

 

Conversion is Rampant. Centre has to pitch in for a case like Ramalingam hand getting chooped and killed. Now before you say anything on line of religion, just give a thought; Jews have Israel, Islam has Saudi Arabia, Christians have Vatican and Europe. So what do Hindus have, They have India. But only in India cases like Kamlesh Tewari or Ramalingham happens. Situation is so bad that both main parties are doing apeasement politics (example Waqf bill vote in parliament) to get Muslim vote. Just one is more separatist than other.

Only reason you know Kamlesh Tiwari case is because you are a Northie, Ramalingham case never gets enough attention simply because its reported in Tamil language only  in Tamil Namdu.

As long as there is no armed separatist movement... It will never count as separatism movement.

I would call it at best a regional supremacy syndrome & would club it with Maharashtra.

Still cannot overlook past the economic success of TN.

 

Missionary activities along North East and Central Tribal areas of India and Punjab mog Tamil Nadu and any other Indian state for that matter.

Basically it is everywhere now.

India badly needs a Census to really expose wtf just happened in last 15 years.

[velu]

1 hour ago, Vicks57 said:

Tamil Nadu posts record 9.69% economic growth, tops Indian states in 2024-25

 

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/economy/tamil-nadu-achieves-record-9-69-economic-growth-leading-india-s-states-in-202425/amp-11743855370307.html

 

Andhra Pradesh is number 2. That is with huge help from central government.

 

Another source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2025/Apr/06/tamil-nadu-posts-record-969-economic-growth-tops-indian-states-in-2024-25

 

@Stan AF @velu @vvvslaxman 

 

TN is doing well even under  DmK rule  

[mishra]

3 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

As long as there is no armed separatist movement... It will never count as separatism movement.

I would call it at best a regional supremacy syndrome & would club it with Maharashtra.

Still cannot overlook past the economic success of TN.

 

Missionary activities along North East and Central Tribal areas of India and Punjab mog Tamil Nadu and any other Indian state for that matter.

Basically it is everywhere now.

India badly needs a Census to really expose wtf just happened in last 15 years.

Armed one was definitely coming before Trump started his mad methods. Its just delayed.  When in dialogue with S JAishankar, Question asked about separatism was kashmir and Tamilnadu, Think Brits have put an eye on TamilNadu separatism.

[velu]

6 minutes ago, Vicks57 said:

 

As long as sanghees and Jihadis don't come to power, TN will develop under DMK or ADMK.

DMK itself pro jihadi only

[rangeelaraja]

How do you guys even say Gujarat ?

 

I am a Gujarati and I would never say Gujarat because I have travelled interior Gujarat. 
 

The roads are worse than average African country, the quality of housing is beyond horrible, the pollution - i don’t know how much worse things can get. 
 

Maharashtra is MUCH more developed than Gujarat all round. 
 

What Gujarat does have is huge industrial capacity.

 

No services industry at all for a state of this size. 

 

Gujarat model is one big marketing deception.  The state prospers because people are enterprising not because of good governance. 
 

 
 

 

[velu]

14 minutes ago, Vicks57 said:

 

DMK only pays lip service. Look at the amount of muslim inmates without parole in TN.

That’s a very smart politics if DMK do

 

 and fyi DMK  only closed industries like sterlite  

[Mariyam]

5 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

How do you guys even say Gujarat ?

 

I am a Gujarati and I would never say Gujarat because I have travelled interior Gujarat. 
 

The roads are worse than average African country, the quality of housing is beyond horrible, the pollution - i don’t know how much worse things can get. 
 

Maharashtra is MUCH more developed than Gujarat all round. 
 

What Gujarat does have is huge industrial capacity.

 

No services industry at all for a state of this size. 

 

Gujarat model is one big marketing deception.  The state prospers because people are enterprising not because of good governance. 
 

 
 

 

My experiences are quite the opposite. 
 

We have a plant in Vapi and another one near Jamnagar. The ease if doing business , the ease of getting government permits, road connectivity for heavy vehicles, timely freight (by trains) and most of all availability of skilled / semi skilled workers if far better in Gujarat than Maharashtra.

 

Industrial SEZs get subsidised electricity. 
 

State Pollution control board is actually monitoring pollution and not just interested in extorting money under some catch all rules like in Maharashtra.

 

The state Highways ( which are under the purview of the State Governments) are far better in Gujarat.

 

Obviously Western Maharashtra, as a sub unit would be comparable to Gujarat. Boisar to Pune / Chakan belt. The interiors of Maharashtra, ie the parts on the Deccan plateau, Vidharbha, Marathwada are extremely back ward without adequate state investment and very monsoon dependent for livelihood even today.

 

 

[Mariyam]

2 minutes ago, Vicks57 said:

 

Well Sterlite has been legally caught multiple times of polluting the water bodies in that area.

 

If it was a govt company, public perception would have been different in terms of trust.

The Environment Protection Act says that a company repeatedly failing on its duty to the environment , can only be shut by the Government after its case is reviewed by the National Green Tribunal across a whole host of parameters.

That did not happen in case of Sterlite. The State government(s) were in an all fire hurry to shut it. Definitely fishy. 
 

And Sterlite will definitely win the protracted case.

[velu]

5 minutes ago, Vicks57 said:

 

Well Sterlite has been legally caught multiple times of polluting the water bodies in that area.

 

If it was a govt company, public perception would have been different in terms of trust.

i dont want to hear your dmk or commie bs ..

[Mariyam]

@Vicks57 I am aware of the case. One of my classmates is on the panel representing Vedanta.

 

The case is primarily against The vague application of the Environment Protection Act. And how the State Government(s) have deliberately misconstrued certain clauses. This is the case that Sterlite will win. 
 

They would get some compensation also on account of the same, and will use the said compensation to offset the EPA listed penalties.  Using this judgement as a precedent, Sterlite could try to reopen the plant. But that it a long shot.

[singhvivek141]

2 hours ago, Vicks57 said:

Tamil Nadu posts record 9.69% economic growth, tops Indian states in 2024-25

 

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livemint.com/economy/tamil-nadu-achieves-record-9-69-economic-growth-leading-india-s-states-in-202425/amp-11743855370307.html

 

Andhra Pradesh is number 2. That is with huge help from central government.

 

Another source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2025/Apr/06/tamil-nadu-posts-record-969-economic-growth-tops-indian-states-in-2024-25

 

@Stan AF @velu @vvvslaxman 

 

I think the list isn't complete yet.

States like Gujarat, Delhi, UP, Chandigarh, Goa, Kerala and many others arent recorded yet.

 

Till 23-24, amongst major economies...Delhi & Gujarat were comfortably ahead with 9.16% & 8.94% growth, while 

UP has 8.51% growth in 23-24. TN recorded 8.23% growth in 23-24.

 

Assam took biggest nosedive. 11.58% in 23-24 to 7.94% in 24-25. Mizoram and Nagaland too had more than 10% of growth till last year.

Edited April 14, 2025 by singhvivek141

[singhvivek141]

1 minute ago, Vicks57 said:

 

Gujarat is overrated by the words of the fellow gujarati.

 

No matter which development metrics you take, TN is gonna be top 3.

 

I rest my case

 

You don't need to be all defensive.

Keeping aside our political differences, economically we all want same thing.

[randomGuy]

33 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

I think the list isn't complete yet.

States like Gujarat, Delhi, UP, Chandigarh, Goa, Kerala and many others arent recorded yet.

 

Till 23-24, amongst major economies...Delhi & Gujarat were comfortably ahead with 9.16% & 8.94% growth, while 

UP has 8.51% growth in 23-24. TN recorded 8.23% growth in 23-24.

 

Assam took biggest nosedive. 11.58% in 23-24 to 7.94% in 24-25. Mizoram and Nagaland too had more than 10% of growth till last year.

UP law and order improvement has been fantastic and economic, infrastructure improvement has been very good.

 

UP and Bihar both deserve the best today as their people , particularly Bihar, do not get the credit but are very hard working people. There is bihari blood and sweat in many infra projects across the length and breadth of the country as well as contributions in IT, govt. services etc. People are extremely hard working.

 

 

[Muloghonto]

7 minutes ago, randomGuy said:

UP law and order improvement has been fantastic and economic, infrastructure improvement has been very good.

 

UP and Bihar both deserve the best today as their people , particularly Bihar, do not get the credit but are very hard working people. There is bihari blood and sweat in many infra projects across the length and breadth of the country as well as contributions in IT, govt. services etc. People are extremely hard working.

 

 

This is why I rated UP as number 1. UP is by far the most improved state in the last 5-10 years on most govt related metrics. 

 

[rangeelaraja]

14 hours ago, Mariyam said:

My experiences are quite the opposite. 
 

We have a plant in Vapi and another one near Jamnagar. The ease if doing business , the ease of getting government permits, road connectivity for heavy vehicles, timely freight (by trains) and most of all availability of skilled / semi skilled workers if far better in Gujarat than Maharashtra.

 

Industrial SEZs get subsidised electricity. 
 

State Pollution control board is actually monitoring pollution and not just interested in extorting money under some catch all rules like in Maharashtra.

 

The state Highways ( which are under the purview of the State Governments) are far better in Gujarat.

 

Obviously Western Maharashtra, as a sub unit would be comparable to Gujarat. Boisar to Pune / Chakan belt. The interiors of Maharashtra, ie the parts on the Deccan plateau, Vidharbha, Marathwada are extremely back ward without adequate state investment and very monsoon dependent for livelihood even today.

 

 

 

 

Vapi and Jamnagar are major industrial corridors, no doubt. But relying on their development to represent all of Gujarat is like judging all of Mumbai from Lower Parel—just because you're surrounded by high-rises doesn’t mean that Mumbai doesn't have issues with urban squalor.

 

Every time I visit India, I travel by road from Ahmedabad to various Jain pilgrimage sites ( Mahudi, Sankheshwar, Palitana ) and I can tell you firsthand: the quality of roads in interior Gujarat is  poor, at least in my experience.

 

The well-maintained stretches that you are probably referring  to are mostly part of central government initiatives like the Golden Quadrilateral and Bharatmala, covering places like Patan, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Surat, Jamnagar, Porbandar, and industrial port zones such as Mundra, Kandla...etc.

 

One of the most credible indicators of effective governance is economic migration patterns. In the South, you often see two-way migration between states like Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu—a sign of balanced economic opportunities.

But between Gujarat and Maharashtra, it’s largely one-way: Gujaratis moving to Maharashtra, not the other way around. Even affluent Gujaratis often prefer to settle in Mumbai or Pune. You rarely see the reverse.

Why is that? What does that indicate ?

Because Gujarat has largely missed the services boom that transformed other states. How many major tech, banking, or consulting firms have big offices in Gujarat? And aside from IIT Gandhinagar and Nirma, how many premier engineering institutions can you name that draw national talent?

 

Gujarat’s growth story has been heavily industrial and trade-focused, which has its merits, but it has not created the knowledge economy ecosystem that’s become the backbone of modern India.

[Mariyam]

13 hours ago, Muloghonto said:

This is why I rated UP as number 1. UP is by far the most improved state in the last 5-10 years on most govt related metrics. 

 

Improved yes. But on absolute terms still massively behind on most parameters. 
 

Definitely better governed now than under Mayawati and the likes.

 

So a lot of people cite the sudden surge of FII into UP infra projects and industries as a sign of the development of UP. The reality there is that most of the units/offices are all in Noida which though technically UP is essentially Delhi ++.

 

Even the new airport at Jewar, though in UP geographically is essentially to service Delhi.

 

What would really help UP is to develop a few urban centres distinctly from Delhi.

[ravishingravi]

Top 3 Good 

1) Gujarat

2) Maharashtra 

3) Tamil Nadu 

 

Bottom 3

1) Bihar

2) Andhra 

3) Karnataka

[Lone Wolf]

In which world UP is better than Odisha which is literally most improved state in India by far.  I just wish they don't get affected by WB...Some weird takes here.

Edited April 15, 2025 by Lone Wolf

[raki05]

4 hours ago, Mariyam said:

Improved yes. But on absolute terms still massively behind on most parameters. 
 

Definitely better governed now than under Mayawati and the likes.

 

So a lot of people cite the sudden surge of FII into UP infra projects and industries as a sign of the development of UP. The reality there is that most of the units/offices are all in Noida which though technically UP is essentially Delhi ++.

 

Even the new airport at Jewar, though in UP geographically is essentially to service Delhi.

 

What would really help UP is to develop a few urban centres distinctly from Delhi.

If you see its same in all states… In karnataka all investment are in Bangalore….. Demand for Telangana has only reached to its peak due to Hyderabad being an economic monster. There are many states where major development happened in only one or 2 cities and whole state is levelled as developed this is wide spread problem and not just limited to UP. But being from UP one thing which really improved exponentially is law and order we never had law and order like this also highways connectivity .

[raki05]

18 hours ago, Vicks57 said:

 

Gujarat is overrated by the words of the fellow gujarati.

 

No matter which development metrics you take, TN is gonna be top 3.

 

I rest my case

TN and most of the southern state has head start in terms of development as after independence most of investment by central government was done in this region considering  persistent war threat from China and Pakistan. Even now any big manufacturing ,scientific or sensitive or high value product development initiative would be allocated to south india. So dont take a high ground.