INDIA: Andhra Pradesh retained its top position in ease of doing business ranking 2019, while Uttar Pradesh leapfrogged into second position according to the State Business Reform Action Plan Ranking released by the commerce and industry ministry on Saturday.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the 2019 rankings which were based on 180 reform points including easy access to information, improved labour laws, speedy construction permits, land administration and single window approvals.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “India is seen paying attention to the change cycle which indicated when foreign direct investment expanded in any event, during the Covid-19 pandemic in the midst of what was called world’s strictest lockdown,”.
Uttar Pradesh climbed 10 places over its 2018 position and emerged as the top performer in the northern region.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh has secured the sixth position in the country in ease of doing business. Despite the Corona crisis, the state of Chhattisgarh has managed to retain its position of the year 2018. This ranking has been released on the basis of implementing the plan of business improvement for improving the business environment in the country, in which Andhra Pradesh is at the top.
The top ten states under State Reform Action Plan 2019 are:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh
- Telangana
- Madhya Pradesh
- Jharkhand
- Chhattisgarh
- Himachal Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- West Bengal
- Gujarat
The positioning depended on 180 change focuses, for example, simple admittance to data, improved work laws, rapid development grants, land organization and single window endorsements, and 36 states/UTs took an interest in the activity plan that is planned for improving business condition in states by rearranging strategies, digitization of data and facilitating consistence trouble.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducts the activity.
Appreciating the effort put in by states, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who also has the Railways portfolio, said the exercise is aimed at promoting competition among states to improve the business climate to attract domestic and foreign investments.
“It will also help the nation improve its ranking. The country is working on steps like creating a single-window system for approvals and clearances,” he added.