ISAS Briefs

India has made significant progress in the ease of doing business ranks by climbing 30 places to reach 100. The achievement is being celebrated as a vindication of the Narendra Modi government's efforts to streamline regulations. While making large strides on indicators such as paying taxes, getting credit and tackling insolvency, India still ranks poorly on some other indicators such as starting a business, enforcing contracts, dealing with construction permits, registering property and trading across borders. Attributing the better rank to positive policy changes in areas managed by the Central government, the paper argues that climbing further would require greater action from the States.