‘Red tape a hindranceto growth in India’

September 20, 2014 12:22 am | Updated 12:22 am IST - VISAKHAPATNAM:

India and Thailand have several things in common, and the influence of Indian culture and religion can be seen not only in Thailand but also in many other nations like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Singapore and Thailand, despite being very small nations more or less about the size of Visakhapatnam, have progressed rapidly and their GDP matches that of the advanced nations of the world. On the contrary, India, despite being the second largest country by population and the seventh largest in terms of area, has failed to make proper use of its vast resources and heritage to showcase itself to the world.

The absence of bureaucratic red tape has seen the quick rise of Thailand but rigid rules are hindering the growth and prosperity of India, feels Deputy Consul General (Commercial), Royal Thai (Chennai), Tharadol Thongruang.

“I have been in India for the last 10 years, first in Delhi and now in Chennai. I know how difficult it is to do business in India as the rules are very rigid. On the contrary, bring your ID and address proof and you can register your company in Thailand in an hour. On payment of the registration charges of Rs.12,000, you can start your business right away without any delay,” he said.

Investors in India have to run around different departments to obtain permissions even after submitting the relevant documents. It could take several months or sometimes even years to get a license.

Pat for Vizag

“Vizag is like my hometown in Thailand. I feel at home here. The culture of the east coast of India has influence on Thai as also South East Asian culture. We have two crore tourists visiting Thailand from different parts of the globe every year. India has immense tourism potential and Thai tourists are willing to come here but there is no information on the Buddhist heritage sites available on the east coast,” Mr. Tharadol said on the sidelines of a meeting organised by the CII here on Friday.

When told that there were 33 Buddhist heritage sites of historical importance in and around Visakhapatnam, he underlined the need to showcase them to the world to attract tourists.

Appreciating the handicrafts and traditional artisans in India, Mr. Tharadol felt that there could be cultural exchanges between the artisans of India and Thailand to ensure better marketability of their products.

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