Orissa

Mineral-rich Orissa is now attracting foreign direct investment and mega projects like no other state. The state is blessed with heavy iron ore deposits and many a steel plant.

Despite the high level of poverty in the state, Orissa has been in the forefront of privatization and economic reforms.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's Orissa, however, is hardly free from corruption and is said to be 'Highly Corrupt.'

Haryana

Haryana has emerged as a major hub for IT and BPO firms. It is also a huge manufacturing base for many a global company, having received a massive amount of foreign direct investment.

The state's business-friendly policies have seen it grow on all parameters of economic development. It is also one of India's richest states.

Transparency International India, however, categorises it as 'Moderately Corrupt.' If corruption were to be reduced in the state, its prosperity and growth would be electrifying. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will, apart from industrialisation, have to now focus on this aspect of human development too.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is India's most industrialised state. It is also one of the richest.

It has a great mix of giant industrial units, well developed agricultural base, flourishing services sector, a fairly free market economy, and a booming financial, banking, and insurance sector.

The state is home to India's financial capital Mumbai, and to the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. It is also home to Bollywood, the nation's Hindi film and television industry.

Although, a 'Moderately Corrupt' state, Maharashtra needs to weed out the menace to grow ever faster economically and on the human development index. Vilasrao Deshmukh is current chief minister of the state.