Andhra Pradesh ranks first in ease of doing business in the country

As per the recently released ‘ease of doing business’ rankings for India, prepared by the World Bank and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Andhra Pradesh reigned supreme once again with a score of 98.42 percent. Telangana, with a score of 98.33 percent, stood second on the list, as compared to its joint first rank with Andhra Pradesh last year.

Harayana and Jharkhand, with scores of 98.07 percent and 97.99 percent respectively, followed suit. National capital Delhi, on the other hand, slipped further down from its last year’s rank and stood 23rd on the list this year.

Based on the 405 business reforms initiatives identified by the centre and the feedback from businesses, the country’s states and Union Territories have been ranked to create a healthy competitive environment for attracting investments and facilitating easier ways for carrying out various business activities.

Ramesh Abhishek, secretary of the department of industrial policy and promotion, said, “This time we have taken feedback from industry to see whether the reforms are percolated to the ground level.”

While the states which made a significant progress over the past one year, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Bihar, were categorised as the fast movers, states including Goa (57.34 percent), Punjab (53.92 percent), Tripura (22.27 percent), and Sikkim (0.13 percent) among others, were put under the category of Aspirers.