Fresh data from the RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States reveals a clear distinction between states leading in overall economic output and those with the highest per-capita income, underscoring structural disparities across India’s economies.
Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) Leaders
Maharashtra remains the largest economy among Indian states, with a GSDP of ₹45.3 lakh crore, followed by Tamil Nadu at ₹31.1 lakh crore. Uttar Pradesh, with ₹29.7 lakh crore, surpasses Karnataka’s ₹28.8 lakh crore in absolute output but ranks much lower in per-capita terms at ₹1.08 lakh. Other top-performing states by GSDP include Telangana (₹16.4 lakh crore), Andhra Pradesh (₹15.9 lakh crore), Rajasthan (₹17.0 lakh crore), Madhya Pradesh (₹15.0 lakh crore), and West Bengal (₹18.2 lakh crore).
Per-Capita NSDP Rankings
When measured by per-capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP), a different hierarchy emerges. Delhi tops the chart with a per-capita NSDP of ₹4.93 lakh, followed by Telangana (₹3.87 lakh), Karnataka (₹3.80 lakh), Tamil Nadu (₹3.61 lakh), and Haryana (₹3.53 lakh). Maharashtra, despite being the largest economy, ranks lower on this metric with ₹3.09 lakh per capita. Kerala (₹3.08 lakh), Punjab (₹2.21 lakh), Himachal Pradesh (₹2.56 lakh), and Uttarakhand (₹2.74 lakh) also perform strongly in per-capita income relative to their overall size.
States With Lower Per-Capita Income
At the lower end, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh highlight the disparity between scale and individual prosperity. Bihar, with a GSDP of nearly ₹9.9 lakh crore, has the lowest per-capita income of ₹69,321, while Madhya Pradesh produces ₹15 lakh crore in output but has a per-capita income of only ₹1.52 lakh. These figures emphasize the gap between aggregate production and wealth per resident.
Top 15 States – GSDP and Per-Capita NSDP
| Rank | State/UT | GSDP (₹ lakh crore) | Per-Capita NSDP (₹) |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 45.32 | 3,09,340 |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 31.19 | 3,61,619 |
| 3 | Karnataka | 28.84 | 3,80,906 |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh | 29.78 | 1,08,572 |
| 5 | Telangana | 16.41 | 3,87,623 |
| 6 | Andhra Pradesh | 15.93 | 2,66,240 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 17.04 | 1,85,053 |
| 8 | Madhya Pradesh | 15.03 | 1,52,615 |
| 9 | West Bengal | 18.15 | 1,63,467 |
| 10 | Haryana | 12.14 | 3,53,182 |
| 11 | Kerala | 12.49 | 3,08,338 |
| 12 | Delhi | 12.15 | 4,93,024 |
| 13 | Bihar | 9.92 | 69,321 |
| 14 | Odisha | 8.90 | 1,68,966 |
| 15 | Punjab | 8.39 | 2,21,197 |
Structural Insights
The RBI data highlights that some mid-sized states outperform larger economies in per-capita income, reflecting higher productivity, industrial diversification, urbanisation, and demographic factors. States like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand demonstrate that smaller economic size does not preclude high individual prosperity, revealing the nuanced relationship between state output and citizen wealth.
Summary:
RBI statistics show Maharashtra leads in GSDP at ₹45.3 lakh crore, while Delhi tops per-capita NSDP at ₹4.93 lakh. Larger states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have low per-capita income despite high aggregate output. Mid-sized states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand outperform larger states in per-capita metrics, highlighting structural disparities between overall economic size and individual prosperity.
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