The five big states of South India - Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu - had a per capita income lower than the national average in 1991. However, since the beginning of liberalization, these five states have seen tremendous growth. However, not all of these states are on the list of richest states in terms of per capita income. According to the report of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC), the top five richest states in India in terms of per capita income are Delhi, Telangana, Karnataka, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu.

Here per capita income should be seen as a percentage of the national average. During the financial year 2024, the share of 5 states of South India in India's total GDP was about 30 percent. Interestingly, the list of richest states also includes Telangana, which was separated from Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2924.

Maharashtra is the largest contributor to the country's total GDP, but its share has relatively declined in the last decade. About 15 years ago, Maharashtra's share in India's total GDP was 15%, which is now 13.3 percent. However, this state is not included in the list of the top 5 states of the country in terms of per capita income.

Uttar Pradesh's share in India's GDP has come down to 9.5 percent, which was 14 percent in 1960-61. Bihar is the third largest state in the country in terms of population. Despite this, its share in the country's GDP is only 4.3 percent. Punjab got tremendous benefits from the Green Revolution in the 1960s. The state's per capita income increased by 119.6 percent compared to the national income, whereas in 1971 this figure was 169 percent. The poorest states in terms of per capita income include Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, and Assam.