Indiana’s economic development practices have received heightened attention since the October 2 release of the “Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) Forensic Review.” While the audit identified opportunities to modernize governance, documentation and ROI measurement, it is important to recognize the IEDC’s pivotal role in shaping Indiana’s strong business climate and sustained capital investment growth.
In recent years, Indiana has consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in major project attraction. According to IEDC reports, the IEDC secured a record $39.2 billion in committed capital investment in 2024 (a 37% increase over 2023) through 169 company commitments to expand or relocate in Indiana. These commitments include, among others, major data center and advanced manufacturing investments from Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft.
These successes reflect an economic development model that is intentionally nimble: IEDC’s quasi-governmental structure enables the speed, confidentiality and flexibility required to compete for transformational projects that move quickly and often span multiple states.
As legislators examine the audit findings ahead of the 2026 session, the Chamber believes this moment presents an opportunity to strengthen Indiana’s long-term competitiveness. Greater transparency, clearer documentation standards and a consistent methodology for evaluating the ROI of state incentives will help reinforce public confidence and ensure taxpayers and employers understand the impact of major economic development decisions. At the same time, any reforms should preserve IEDC’s ability to be agile, responsive and effective in a highly competitive national (and international) landscape.
The Chamber looks forward to collaborating with lawmakers, the Governor’s Office and IEDC leadership to ensure that Indiana continues to recruit high-value jobs, attract next generation industries and maintain the model of economic development excellence that has driven results for more than two decades.
