TS among top 5 States in Niti Innovation Index

New Delhi: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala have been ranked as top five states in innovation in Niti Aayog's second Innovation Index released on Wednesday.

The index, released by Aayog's vice chairman Rajiv Kumar and CEO Amitabh Kant, has been developed in the lines of Global Innovation Index. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar were ranked at the bottom of the Index.

Karnataka topped the Index for the second year in a row. Among Union Territories Delhi topped the chart, while in the North-Eastern and Hill States category Himachal Pradesh occupied the top spot.

"Amongst major states, the average innovation score is 25.35. Karnataka tops at 42.5, which is attributable to its strong number of venture capital deals, registered GIs (Geographical Indications) and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) exports.

Karnataka's high FDI inflow has also enhanced the innovation capabilities of the state," the India Innovation Index 2020 said. Maharashtra was ranked second with an innovation score of 38, while Bihar finished last at 14.5.

"The case for the southern states as the top performers has also become stronger as four of them occupy the top-five spots within the major states," it added. According to the index, the North-Eastern and Hill states achieved an average innovation score of 17.89.