CHENNAI: Underlining the State's growing prominence as a manufacturing, exports and supply-chain hub, Tamil Nadu has been ranked the best-performing coastal State in the Union government's Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2025 report.
The State secured the highest "Exemplar" classification in the latest report released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) during the LEAPS Awards 2025 in Delhi on Wednesday.
The State emerged ahead of several major industrial and BJP-ruled states in the coastal category, as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala were placed one step below in the "High Performers" category, while Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Goa were classified as "Accelerators". West Bengal figured under the "Growth Seekers" segment.
Reacting to the report, former industries minister TRB Rajaa said the recognition reflected sustained investments in logistics infrastructure, industrial connectivity and manufacturing ecosystems in Tamil Nadu.
Among landlocked states, Uttar Pradesh was the only one to secure the "Exemplar" tag. Haryana, Telangana, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh were categorised as "High Performers". Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Jharkhand were placed in the "Accelerators" category.
Delhi topped the Union Territories segment with the "Exemplar" classification, while Mizoram emerged as the leading North-Eastern State.
The LEADS framework evaluates states and UTs on logistics infrastructure, multimodal connectivity, warehousing capacity, institutional support, regulatory efficiency, and overall ease of freight movement.
Marking a shift towards a more data-driven evaluation framework, the LEADS 2025 report introduced a revised four-tier ranking structure and assigned nearly 59 per cent weightage to objective indicators.
Tamil Nadu's performance is being viewed as a significant endorsement of its industrial ecosystem, particularly its integrated network of ports, highways, industrial corridors and manufacturing clusters that support automobiles, electronics, textiles and export-oriented industries.