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Rediff.com  » Business » Best nations to do business in: India beats China
This article was first published 13 years ago

Best nations to do business in: India beats China

Last updated on: September 10, 2010 19:02 IST

Image: Children celebrate Independence Day.
Photographs: Reuters.

India is the second fastest growing economy in the world, but it fails to be among the best destinations to do business in.

India lags behind several developing countries in terms of doing business, but is ahead of China. It is ranked 77th in the Forbes Best Countries for Business list.

"India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain," said the Forbes magazine placing India ahead of Sri Lanka (83), China (90) and Pakistan (92) in its fifth annual ranking of 128 economies.

The ranking is based on 11 categories, including property rights, technology, corruption, red tape, investor protection and stock market performance.

Click NEXT to read how India scored on various parameters . . .

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Bombay Stock Exchange.
"Economic liberalisation, including reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and has served to accelerate the India's growth, which has averaged more than 7 per cent per year since 1997," Forbes said.

  • GDP growth: 7.4%
  • GDP/capita: $3,100
  • Trade Freedom: 109
  • Red Tape: 123
  • Investor protection: 31
  • Corruption: 70
  • Market performance: 16

. . .

(All economic data for 2009. Market performance for 12 months to August 19. Rankings: 1 = best in category)

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: A parade in China.
Photographs: Reuters.
Rank 90: China

China is the fastest growing economy in the world but when it comes to doing business, it offers a rigid business environment.

"China's economy during the past 30 years has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy," notes Forbes.

  • GDP growth: 9.1%
  • GDP/capita: $6,600
  • Trade freedom: 89
  • Red tape: 115
  • Investor protection: 74
  • Corruption: 66
  • Market performance: 65

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Denmark.
Rank 1: Denmark

Denmark has a high-tech agricultural sector, state-of-the-art industry with world-leading firms in pharmaceuticals, maritime shipping and renewable energy, and a high dependence on foreign trade, states Forbes, ranking Denmark as the world's best destination to do business in.

  • GDP growth: -4.7%
  • GDP/capita: $36,000
  • Red tape: 23
  • Corruption: 2
  • Investor protection: 26
  • Trade freedom: 12
  • Market performance: 37

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Hong Kong's financial district is lit up.
Photographs: Tyrone Siu/Reuters.
Rank 2: Hong Kong

Hong Kong beat the United States to take over the No. 2 spot from No. 9 last year. It scored high in investor protection and both trade and monetary freedom.

"Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade and finance - the value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of re-exports, is about four times GDP," Forbes said.

  • GDP growth: -2.8%
  • GDP/capita: $42,800
  • Red Tape: 15
  • Corruption: 12
  • Investor protection: 1
  • Trade freedom: 1
  • Market performance: 55

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Air New Zealand.
Rank 3: New Zealand

New Zealand has improved its position as a business friendly nation moving up to rank 3 from 5 last year. According to Forbes, New Zealand has moved from an agrarian economy to a more industrialised free market economy.

  • GDP growth: -1.6%
  • GDP/capita: $27,400
  • Investor protection: 1
  • Corruption: 1
  • Red Tape: 1
  • Trade freedom: 37
  • Market performance: 54

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Canada.
Rank 4: Canada

Canada is a rich country with a high-tech industrial society that resembles the United States' economic system and affluent living standards, says Forbes.

  • GDP growth: -2.5%
  • GDP/capita: $38,200
  • Trade freedom: 6
  • Corruption: 8
  • Red tape: 2
  • Investor protection: 5
  • Market performance: 36

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Singapore.
Photographs: Reuters.
Rank 5: Singapore

Singapore has a highly developed and successful free-market economy. It enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries.

  • GDP growth: -1.3%
  • GDP/capita $52,200
  • Trade freedom: 1
  • Red tape: 4
  • Investor protection: 2
  • Corruption: 3
  • Market performance: 24

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Dublin.
Rank 6: Ireland

Ireland has transformed into a modern knowledge economy, focusing on services and high-tech industries and dependent on trade, industry and investment.

  • GDP growth: -7.6%
  • GDP/capita: $41,000
  • Trade freedom: 12
  • Red tape: 8
  • Investor protection: 5
  • Corruption: 14
  • Market performance: 68

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: The 54-storied Turning Torso tower.
Photographs: Johan Nilsson/Reuters.
Rank 7: Sweden

Sweden is an export-oriented mixed economy with a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labour force.

  • GDP growth: -5.1%
  • GDP/capita: $36,600
  • Trade freedom: 12
  • Red tape: 34
  • Investor protection: 43
  • Corruption: 3
  • Market performance: 34

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: Norway.
Rank 8: Norway

Norway has a prosperous economy with majority state-ownership in strategic areas of the economy.

  • GDP growth: -1.5%
  • GDP/Capita: $57,400
  • Trade freedom: 4
  • Red tape: 29
  • Investor protection: 19
  • Corruption: 11
  • Market performance: 29

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: New York.
Photographs: Gary Hershorn/Reuters.
Rank 9: United States

The United States has fallen to the ninth position from second position last year. The recession-battered economy is finding it difficult to sustain new businesses. The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $46,400, says Forbes.

  • GDP growth -2.6%
  • GDP/capita $46,000
  • Trade freedom: 35
  • Red tape: 7
  • Corruption: 19
  • Investor protection: 5
  • Market performance: 44

. . . 

Best countries to business: India beats China

Image: BFLS's Strata tower in London.
Photographs: Luke MacGregor/Reuters
Rank 10: United Kingdom

The sixth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP, the United Kingdom is the also the second largest financial economy in the world, second only to the United States.

  • GDP growth: -4.9%
  • GDP/capita: $34,800
  • Trade freedom: 12
  • Red tape: 13
  • Investor protection: 10
  • Corruption: 17
  • Tax Burden: 14
  • Market performance: 52