Tamil Nadu ranks #8 in the SKOCH State of Governance Report 2024, retaining its position among the top ten states in the country. The state qualified with 16 well-performing projects, of which three were categorised as highly impactful and seven as impactful. This reflects a steady commitment to quality governance, although the number of projects needs to significantly rise for Tamil Nadu to break into the top five. Compared to peers like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Odisha—who submitted larger volumes of well-performing district and municipal-level projects.
Tamil Nadu’s strongest showing in 2024 came in Handlooms & Textiles, where it emerged as the national leader. It also registered impressive gains in Health, Transport, and Municipal Governance. In both Health and Transport, the state ranks #3 nationally, while it ranks #4 in Municipal Governance. These improvements align with its long-standing investments in public health infrastructure and urban mobility. Notably, Tamil Nadu maintained consistency in Skill Development, where it holds the #2 position, reflecting sustained efforts in aligning human capital with industry needs. Other comeback sectors include Co-operation (#2), General Administration (#3), and Social Justice & Security (#5). The diversity of its sectoral impact illustrates a well-rounded governance architecture, bolstered by consistent policy focus across departments.
In terms of the SKOCH State of Financial Prudence Index, Tamil Nadu ranks in the top five. The state demonstrates sound fiscal practices, including moderate debt levels, healthy capital outlay, and strong own-tax revenue collection. Its performance is markedly superior to that of eastern counterparts such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Assam, which rely heavily on central transfers. While Maharashtra and Gujarat still lead in fiscal robustness, Tamil Nadu’s consistent tax mobilisation and development expenditure reflect prudent fiscal planning, enabling the execution of high-impact welfare and infrastructure programmes.
Tamil Nadu also fares well on the SKOCH State of Government Transformation Index, which captures innovation, digital adoption, and reform implementation. It is among the better-performing states, supported by impactful governance models and tech-driven interventions across health, e-governance, transport, and social security. However, compared to frontrunners like Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu still lags in project volume.
On the SKOCH State of e-Government Infrastructure Index, Tamil Nadu presents a mixed picture. While digital adoption is widespread in sectors such as transport (through e-ticketing), health (telemedicine), and grievance redressal, the overall penetration of services across departments is still evolving. To compete with e-Governance leaders like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu will need to expand its service delivery platforms and improve transaction volumes and infrastructure reach.
In the SKOCH State of Government Efficiency Index, which combines fiscal performance with governance transformation, Tamil Nadu ranks in the mid-tier. While it performs strongly on the fiscal front, the relatively modest gains on innovation and digital governance hold back its efficiency score. States like Gujarat and Odisha, with aggressive reform cycles and digitally enabled service delivery, rank higher here.
Finally, in the SKOCH State of Development Index, which aggregates governance, e-governance, and finance indices, Tamil Nadu ranks seventh nationally. This reflects its well-rounded institutional strength but also signals the scope for further acceleration. For comparison, Maharashtra leads the index owing to a large number of impactful projects, robust digital backbone, and superior fiscal health. Gujarat and Odisha, with fewer resources than Tamil Nadu, have managed to climb higher by focusing on volume and district-led governance models. Tamil Nadu, therefore, must aim to increase district and municipal-level project submissions and further digitise service delivery to consolidate its developmental standing.
Tamil Nadu’s governance profile for 2024 is defined by sectoral leadership, fiscal prudence, and targeted innovation. With national leadership in Handlooms & Textiles and top-tier rankings in Health, Transport, and Skill Development, the state is well-positioned for continued progress. Tamil Nadu must expand the volume of high-quality project submissions, especially at the grassroots, and deepen digital integration across all departments. A shift toward more distributed, decentralised governance—with urban and rural bodies playing stronger roles—could help the state leapfrog to the top five.
