Telangana leads state-wise ease of doing business ranking

Ranking is dynamic and frozen as positions could change

Telangana is currently atop the yearly state-wise ranking on assessment of implementation of the ‘Business Reforms Action Plan’ (BRAP) in 2017. The final ranking is likely to be released in January, 2018.

Telangana (with an implementation score of 61.83%) is followed by Haryana (54.03%), Odisha (45.70%), Chhattisgarh (45.43%), and West Bengal (44.35%) — completing the top five. However, the ranking is dynamic and till they are frozen, these positions could change due to intense competition between States.

The last date for uploading evidence of reforms implemented was recently extended from October 31 to November 7, 2017, according to the Commerce and Industry Ministry, which is the nodal body at the Centre for the exercise which is part of the ‘cooperative and competitive federalism’ approach of the NDA government. This year’s assessment includes 372 reforms, up from 340 last year.

Uploading evidence

Observing that many States/Union Territories (UT) had not started uploading the evidence of implementation of these reforms on the BRAP portal, the Ministry recently asked the States/UTs to start uploading them before the deadline.

The broad areas of assessment this year include paper-less courts, online single window system, online tax payment, contract enforcement, land availability and allotment, obtaining electricity and water connection, enablers for transparency, tax, labour regulation, construction permits, environmental registration as well as commercial dispute resolution and online systems for property registration. They also include registration and grant and renewal of licence under the Factories Act, approval of plan and permission to construct/extend/or take into use any building as a factory, registration and renewal of boilers, as well as compliance inspections under various laws.

‘Joint topper’

Telangana was the joint topper with Andhra Pradesh, in the ranking last year. However, Andhra Pradesh (score of 18.01%) is currently ranked 14th. Gujarat, ranked third last year, is now number eight with a score of 41.94% while Madhya Pradesh, which was fifth last year, is now 22nd with a score of 10.22%.

In the recently released World Bank Group’s Doing Business report that assessed reforms implemented in 190 countries from June 2, 2016 to June 1, 2017, India was ranked 100th among 190 countries, up from 130th last year.