The UK India Business Council released its 5th annual "Doing Business in India" report, which found that UK companies are generally upbeat about doing business in India. Some key findings: - 56% of UK companies said it is getting easier to do business in India. Perceptions of corruption as a barrier dropped sharply from over 50% in 2014 to 17.5% in 2019. - Legal/regulatory impediments remain the top barrier cited at 59%, followed by identifying partners and taxation issues. - 26% of UK companies plan to do more business with India after Brexit. - Maharashtra was seen as the best state for ease of doing business, followed by Delhi. Bureaucracy

1. Index
COVERAGE REPORT
Press Release
UK India Business Council releases
Annual Doing Business in India Report
for 2019
15 November 2019
New Delhi, India

2. Sr. No Website Link
1. The Times of India UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
2. Business Standard 56% UK companies upbeat about doing business in India: UKIBC
Report
3. Business Standard UK India Business Council releases annual doing business in India
Report for 2019
4. The Economic Times UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
5. The Hindu Business Line UK companies say business with India may increase after Brexit
6. The New Indian Express UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
7. Money Control UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
8. Yahoo News UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in
India Report for 2019
9. Outlook UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
10. The Week UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in
India Report for 2019
11. Devdiscourse UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
12. Daily Hunt UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in
India Report for 2019
13. The Hans India UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in
India Report for 2019
14. Startup Success Stories UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in
India Report for 2019
15. Easterneye UK firms upbeat about ease of doing business in India
16. News IP UK India Business Council releases annual Doing Business in
India Report for 2019

3. Website The Times of India
Link UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report -
Times of India
New Delhi, Nov 13 () UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per cent
of them saying it is getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption
being a barrier to operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report.
The UK India Business Council's fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on
Wednesday is based on the result of extensive discussions, including a round-table in London
with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK
companies and higher education institutions on operating environment in India and their reform
priorities. With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do
more business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost
to the flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, the UK India Business
Council (UKIBC) said.
"Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is
getting easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while
23 per cent were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi's
government is the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated. When the UKIBC
published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of respondents cited
corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure has improved year on year, and in
2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent. There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption,
but the continued reduction is a positive, the UKIBC said. However, 'legal and regulatory
impediments' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing business and were cited by 59
per cent of respondents as a major barrier.
"The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market. There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly
much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to
improving bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent
concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE,
said. Identifying a suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers. It is
therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the quality
of bureaucracy', with 28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in this
area, the UKIBC said on the report's findings. The second most popular reform request was also
related to bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of respondents calling for simplification of the Goods
and Services Tax. Maharashtra topped the list of states making most improvement in business
environment, followed by Delhi.

4. Website Business Standard
Link 56% UK companies upbeat about doing business in India: UKIBC Report
56% UK companies upbeat about doing business in India:
UKIBC Report
UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per cent of them saying it is
getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption being a barrier to
operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report.
The UK India Business Council's fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on
Wednesday is based on the result of extensive discussions, including a round-table in London
with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views
of UK companies and higher education institutions on operating environment in India and their
reform priorities.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, the UK India Business Council
(UKIBC) said.
"Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while 23 per
cent were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi's government is
the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure has improved year
on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent.
There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is
a positive, the UKIBC said.
However, 'legal and regulatory impediments' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing
business and were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier.
"The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market. There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly
much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to
improving bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent

5. concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE,
said.
Identifying a suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers.
It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the
quality of bureaucracy', with 28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in
this area, the UKIBC said on the report's findings.
The second most popular reform request was also related to bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
respondents calling for simplification of the Goods and Services Tax.
Maharashtra topped the list of states making most improvement in business environment,
followed by Delhi.

6. Website Business Standard
Link UK India Business Council releases annual doing business in India Report
for 2019
UK India Business Council releases annual doing business
in India Report for 2019
The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) on Wednesday released its 5th annual Doing Business
in India Report.
The report is based on the results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable in London with
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK companies
and higher education institutions on the operating environment in India and their reform priorities.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while 23 per
cent were undecided).
Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr Modi's Government is the dramatic drop
in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in
2014, over 50 per cent of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This
figure has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent. There is clearly still
work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be 'legal and regulatory impediments',
which were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier. 'Identifying a suitable partner'
and 'taxation issues' are the next two most cited barriers
It is, therefore, no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the
quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 percent of respondents urging the Government of India to act in
this area.
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
respondents calling for a 'simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)'.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24
percent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India's new tax system, and
India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The Government of India announced the reduction of India's corporate tax rate (from 30 per cent
to 25.17 per cent after cess and surcharges are accounted for) prior to the completion of our
survey, perhaps one reason as to why India's previously high corporate tax rate was not
mentioned by our respondents.

7. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be
telecommunication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability of
support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain.
For the first time, the UKIBC canvassed views on how India's States and Union Territories are
performing on the ease of doing business. When asked 'which states are making the most
improvements on business environment', Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent
of respondents giving it the honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries.
"The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market. There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly
much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to
improving bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent
concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses in India," said Richard Heald, OBE, Chief Executive,
UKIBC.
"The UKIBC and our members look forward to our continued dialogue with governments across
India, and we remain fully committed to working together to further improve the ease of doing
business," he concluded.

8. Website The Economic Times
Link UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
NEW DELHI: UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per cent of them
saying it is getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption being a
barrier to operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report. The UK India Business
Council's fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on Wednesday is based on the
result of extensive discussions, including a roundtable in London with Union Commerce Minister
Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK companies and higher education
institutions on operating environment in India and their reform priorities. With Brexit on the agenda
of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more business with India as a direct
result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the flow of goods, services and
investment between the two countries, the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) said. "Overall, the
survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting easier to
do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while 23 per cent were
undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi's government is the
dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 percent of
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure has improved year
on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent. There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all
forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive, the UKIBC said.
However, 'legal and regulatory impediments' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing
business and were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier. "The findings of this
report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have been
improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to remove
the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving bureaucratic
procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for UK and,
indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE, said. Identifying a
suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers. It is therefore no surprise
that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the quality of bureaucracy', with
28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in this area, the UKIBC said on
the report's findings. The second most popular reform request was also related to bureaucracy,
with 16.9 per cent of respondents calling for simplification of the Goods and Services Tax.
Maharashtra topped the list of states making most improvement in business environment,
followed by Delhi.

9. Website The Hindu Business Line
Link UK companies say business with India may increase after Brexit
UK companies say business with India may increase after
Brexit
Maharashtra voted the best State to do business in, followed by Delhi.
UK-based companies are positive about doing more business with India as a direct result of the
UK leaving the EU and believe that Maharashtra is the best State to do business in followed by
Delhi, according to a report brought out by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC).
“With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said they planned to do more business
with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the flow of
goods, services and investment between the two countries,” the UKIBC’s fifth annual `Doing
Business in India Report’ stated.
The report is based on discussions, including a round-table in London with Union Commerce
Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK companies and higher
education institutions on the operating environment in India and their reform priorities.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved. About 23 per
cent respondents were undecided on the matter.
For the first time, the UKIBC asked for views on how India’s States and Union Territories were
performing on the ease of doing business. “Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 per cent
of respondents giving it the honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 per cent of the vote,”
the report said.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continued to be ‘legal and regulatory impediments’
cited by 59 per cent of the respondents. This was followed by identification of a suitable partner
and taxation issues.
The number of respondents that identified corruption as the top impediment declined to 17.5 per
cent in the 2019 report, compared to over 50 per cent in 2014, the release stated.
The most popular reform among UK businesses was ‘improving the quality of bureaucracy’, with
28.6 per cent respondents urging the government to act in this area. The second area for
improvement was simplification of the Goods and Services Tax, although the number of
respondents calling for it declined to 16.9 per cent from 24 per cent in 2018. This reflects that
companies are coming to grips with India’s new tax system, and India has improved its
implementation since the original roll-out, the report stated.

10. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be tele-
communication facilities, followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability of support
and service providers, and the availability of a supply chain.
“The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market. There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly
much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to
improving bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent
concern for the UK and, indeed, all businesses in India,” according to Richard Heald, Chief
Executive, UKIBC.

11. Website The New Indian Express
Link UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
NEW DELHI: UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per cent of them
saying it is getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption being a
barrier to operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report.
The UK India Business Council's fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on
Wednesday is based on the result of extensive discussions, including a round-table in London
with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK
companies and higher education institutions on operating environment in India and their reform
priorities.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, the UK India Business Council
(UKIBC) said.
"Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while 23 per
cent were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi's government is
the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India.
This figure has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent. There is clearly
still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is positive, the
UKIBC said.
However, 'legal and regulatory impediments' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing
business and were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier.
"The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market.
There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still
to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving
bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for
UK and, indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE, said.
Identifying a suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers.

12. It is, therefore, no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the
quality of bureaucracy', with 28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in
this area, the UKIBC said on the report's findings.
The second most popular reform request was also related to bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
respondents calling for a simplification of the Goods and Services Tax.
Maharashtra topped the list of states making the most improvement in the business environment,
followed by Delhi.

13. Website Money Control
Link UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per cent of them saying it is
getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption being a barrier to
operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report.
The UK India Business Council's fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on
Wednesday is based on the result of extensive discussions, including a round-table in London
with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK
companies and higher education institutions on operating environment in India and their reform
priorities.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, the UK India Business Council
(UKIBC) said.
"Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while 23 per
cent were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi's government is
the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure has improved year
on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent.
There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is
a positive, the UKIBC said.
However, 'legal and regulatory impediments' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing
business and were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier.
"The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market. There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly
much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to
improving bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent
concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE,
said.
Identifying a suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers.

14. It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the
quality of bureaucracy', with 28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in
this area, the UKIBC said on the report's findings.
The second most popular reform request was also related to bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
respondents calling for simplification of the Goods and Services Tax.
Maharashtra topped the list of states making most improvement in business environment,
followed by Delhi.

15. Website Yahoo News
Link UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in India
Report for 2019
UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business
in India Report for 2019
UK companies are upbeat about the ease of doing business in India, and a probable Brexit has
stimulated more of them to engage more deeply with India New Delhi, Delhi, India: The UK India
Business Council (UKIBC) on Wednesday released its 5th annual Doing Business in India Report.
The report is based on the results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable in London with
Union Commerce Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK
companies and higher education institutions on the operating environment in India and their
reform priorities.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56% stating that it is getting easier
to do business in India, and only 21% saying that it has not improved (while 23% were undecided).
Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr. Modi’s Government is the dramatic drop
in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in
2014, over 50% of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure
has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5%. There is clearly still work to do to
eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be ‘legal and regulatory impediments’,
which were cited by 59% of respondents as a major barrier. 'Identifying a suitable partner' and
‘taxation issues’ are the next two most cited barriers.
It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is ‘improving the
quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 percent of respondents urging the Government of India to act in
this area.
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9% of
respondents calling for a ‘simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)’.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24
percent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India’s new tax system, and
India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The Government of India announced the reduction of India’s corporate tax rate (from 30% to
25.17% after cess and surcharges are accounted for) prior to the completion of our survey,
perhaps one reason as to why India’s previously high corporate tax rate was not mentioned by
our respondents.

16. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be tele-
communication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability of
support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain.
For the first time, the UKIBC canvassed views on how India’s States and Union Territories are
performing on the ease of doing business. When asked “which states are making the most
improvements on business environment?”, Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent
of respondents giving it the honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries.
UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said that, “The findings of this report reflect the
long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have been improvements,
particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to remove the persistent
barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving bureaucratic procedures and
the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses
in India.” Heald went on to say, “The UKIBC and our members look forward to our continued
dialogue with governments across India, and we remain fully committed to working together to
further improve the ease of doing business.” Notes to Editors About the UKIBCThe UK India
Business Council (UKIBC) is the premier membership-led organisation supporting the promotion
of trade, business and investment between the two countries. UKIBC plays an influential role in
creating and sustaining an environment in which free-trade and investment flourishes. Through
its insights, networks, policy advocacy, services and facilities, the UK India Business Council
supports UK businesses to achieve success.

17. Website Outlook
Link UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per
cent of them saying it is getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption
being a barrier to operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report.
The UK India Business Council''s fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on
Wednesday is based on the result of extensive discussions, including a round-table in London
with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK
companies and higher education institutions on operating environment in India and their reform
priorities.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, the UK India Business Council
(UKIBC) said.
"Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved (while 23 per
cent were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi''s government
is the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure has improved year
on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent.
There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is
a positive, the UKIBC said.
However, ''legal and regulatory impediments'' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing
business and were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier.
"The findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian
market. There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly
much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to
improving bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent
concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE,
said.
Identifying a suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers.

18. It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is ''improving the
quality of bureaucracy'', with 28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in
this area, the UKIBC said on the report''s findings.
The second most popular reform request was also related to bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
respondents calling for simplification of the Goods and Services Tax.
Maharashtra topped the list of states making most improvement in business environment,
followed by Delhi.

19. Website The Week
Link UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in India
Report for 2019
UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing
Business in India Report for 2019
New Delhi, Delhi, India: The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) on Wednesday released its 5th
annual Doing Business in India Report. The report is based on the results of extensive
discussions, including a roundtable in London with Union Commerce Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal,
and a survey that captured the views of UK companies and higher education institutions on the
operating environment in India and their reform priorities.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56% stating that it is getting easier
to do business in India, and only 21% saying that it has not improved (while 23% were undecided).
Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr. Modi’s Government is the dramatic drop
in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in
2014, over 50% of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure
has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5%. There is clearly still work to do to
eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be ‘legal and regulatory impediments’,
which were cited by 59% of respondents as a major barrier. 'Identifying a suitable partner' and
‘taxation issues’ are the next two most cited barriers.
It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is ‘improving the
quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 percent of respondents urging the Government of India to act in
this area.
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9% of
respondents calling for a ‘simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)’.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24
percent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India’s new tax system, and
India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The Government of India announced the reduction of India’s corporate tax rate (from 30% to
25.17% after cess and surcharges are accounted for) prior to the completion of our survey,
perhaps one reason as to why India’s previously high corporate tax rate was not mentioned by
our respondents. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be
tele-communication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability
of support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain.

20. For the first time, the UKIBC canvassed views on how India’s States and Union Territories are
performing on the ease of doing business. When asked “which states are making the most
improvements on business environment?”, Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent
of respondents giving it the honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries.
UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said that, “The findings of this report reflect the
long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have been improvements,
particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to remove the persistent
barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving bureaucratic procedures and
the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses
in India.”
Heald went on to say, “The UKIBC and our members look forward to our continued dialogue with
governments across India, and we remain fully committed to working together to further improve
the ease of doing business.”

21. Website Devdiscourse
Link UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK firms upbeat about doing business in India: Report
UK companies are upbeat about doing business in India, with 56 per cent of them saying it is
getting easier to do business in India and their perception about corruption being a barrier to
operating in India seeing a sharp drop, according to a report. The UK India Business Council's
fifth annual Doing Business in India report released on Wednesday is based on the result of
extensive discussions, including a round-table in London with Union Commerce Minister Piyush
Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK companies and higher education institutions
on operating environment in India and their reform priorities.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries, the UK India Business Council
(UKIBC) said. "Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56 per cent stating
that it is getting easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent saying that it has not improved
(while 23 per cent were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Modi's
government is the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption," the UKIBC stated.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure has improved year
on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5 per cent. There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all
forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive, the UKIBC said.
However, 'legal and regulatory impediments' continue to be the most persistent barrier to doing
business and were cited by 59 per cent of respondents as a major barrier. "The findings of this
report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have been
improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to remove
the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving bureaucratic
procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for UK and,
indeed, all businesses in India," UKIBC Chief Executive Richard Heald, OBE, said. Identifying a
suitable partner and taxation issues are the next two most cited barriers. It is therefore no surprise
that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the quality of bureaucracy', with
28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in this area, the UKIBC said on
the report's findings.
The second most popular reform request was also related to bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
respondents calling for simplification of the Goods and Services Tax. Maharashtra topped the list
of states making most improvement in business environment, followed by Delhi.

22. Website Daily Hunt
Link UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in India
Report for 2019
UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business
in India Report for 2019
The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) on Wednesday released its 5th annual Doing Business
in India Report. The report is based on the results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable
in London with Union Commerce Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views
of UK companies and higher education institutions on the operating environment in India and their
reform priorities.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56% stating that it is getting easier
to do business in India, and only 21% saying that it has not improved (while 23% were undecided).
Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr. Modi's Government is the dramatic drop
in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in
2014, over 50% of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure
has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5%. There is clearly still work to do to
eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be 'legal and regulatory impediments',
which were cited by 59% of respondents as a major barrier. 'Identifying a suitable partner' and
'taxation issues' are the next two most cited barriers.
It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is 'improving the
quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 percent of respondents urging the Government of India to act in
this area.
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9% of
respondents calling for a 'simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)'.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24
percent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India's new tax system, and
India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The Government of India announced the reduction of India's corporate tax rate (from 30% to
25.17% after cess and surcharges are accounted for) prior to the completion of our survey,
perhaps one reason as to why India's previously high corporate tax rate was not mentioned by
our respondents.

23. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be tele-
communication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability of
support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain.
For the first time, the UKIBC canvassed views on how India's States and Union Territories are
performing on the ease of doing business. When asked "which states are making the most
improvements on business environment?", Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent
of respondents giving it the honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries.
UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said that, "The findings of this report reflect the
long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have been improvements,
particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to remove the persistent
barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving bureaucratic procedures and
the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses
in India."
Heald went on to say, "The UKIBC and our members look forward to our continued dialogue with
governments across India, and we remain fully committed to working together to further improve
the ease of doing business."

24. Website The Hans India
Link UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in India
Report for 2019
UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business
in India Report for 2019
The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) on Wednesday released its 5th annual Doing Business
in India Report. The report is based on the results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable
in London with Union Commerce Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views
of UK companies and higher education institutions on the operating environment in India and their
reform priorities. Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56% stating
that it is getting easier to do business in India, and only 21% saying that it has not improved (while
23% were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr. Modi’s
Government is the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first
Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50% of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier
to operating in India. This figure has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5%.
There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is
a positive. The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be ‘legal and regulatory
impediments’, which were cited by 59% of respondents as a major barrier. 'Identifying a suitable
partner' and ‘taxation issues’ are the next two most cited barriers. It is therefore no surprise that
the most popular reform among UK businesses is ‘improving the quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6
percent of respondents urging the Government of India to act in this area.
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9% of
respondents calling for a ‘simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)’. Nevertheless, it
is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24 percent in 2018,
reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India’s new tax system, and India has improved
its implementation since the original rollout. The Government of India announced the reduction
of India’s corporate tax rate (from 30% to 25.17% after cess and surcharges are accounted for)
prior to the completion of our survey, perhaps one reason as to why India’s previously high
corporate tax rate was not mentioned by our respondents. The highest scoring aspects of the
Indian business environment continue to be tele-communication facilities, closely followed by the
availability of skilled labour, the availability of support and service providers, and the availability
of supply chain. For the first time, the UKIBC canvassed views on how India’s States and Union
Territories are performing on the ease of doing business.
When asked “which states are making the most improvements on business environment?”,
Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent of respondents giving it the honour,
followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote. With Brexit on the agenda of UK
companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more business with India as a direct result of

25. the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the flow of goods, services and investment
between the two countries. UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said that, “The
findings of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market.
There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still
to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving
bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for
UK and, indeed, all businesses in India.” Heald went on to say, “The UKIBC and our members
look forward to our continued dialogue with governments across India, and we remain fully
committed to working together to further improve the ease of doing business.”

26. Website Startup Success Stories
Link UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business in India
Report for 2019
UK India Business Council Releases Annual Doing Business
in India Report for 2019
New Delhi, Delhi, India | 14th November 2019: The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) on
Wednesday released its 5th annual Doing Business in India Report. The report is based on the
results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable in London with Union Commerce Minister
Mr. Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK companies and higher education
institutions on the operating environment in India and their reform priorities.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56% stating that it is getting easier
to do business in India, and only 21% saying that it has not improved (while 23% were undecided).
Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr. Modi’s Government is the dramatic drop
in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in
2014, over 50% of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India. This figure
has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5%. There is clearly still work to do to
eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is a positive.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be ‘legal and regulatory impediments’,
which were cited by 59% of respondents as a major barrier. ‘Identifying a suitable partner‘ and
‘taxation issues’ are the next two most cited barriers.
It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is ‘improving the
quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 percent of respondents urging the Government of India to act in
this area.
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9% of
respondents calling for a ‘simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)’.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24
percent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India’s new tax system, and
India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The Government of India announced the reduction of India’s corporate tax rate (from 30% to
25.17% after cess and surcharges are accounted for) prior to the completion of our survey,
perhaps one reason as to why India’s previously high corporate tax rate was not mentioned by
our respondents.

27. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be tele-
communication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability of
support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain.
For the first time, the UKIBC canvassed views on how India’s States and Union Territories are
performing on the ease of doing business. When asked “which states are making the most
improvements on business environment?”, Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent
of respondents giving it the honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the
flow of goods, services and investment between the two countries.
UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said that, “The findings of this report reflect the
long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have been improvements,
particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to remove the persistent
barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving bureaucratic procedures and
the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for UK and, indeed, all businesses
in India.”
Heald went on to say, “The UKIBC and our members look forward to our continued dialogue with
governments across India, and we remain fully committed to working together to further improve
the ease of doing business.”

28. Website Easterneye
Link UK firms upbeat about ease of doing business in India
UK firms upbeat about ease of doing business in India
UK companies are upbeat about the ease of doing business in India, a latest report showed.
A probable Brexit has stimulated more of them to engage more deeply with the south Asian
country, the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) said in its 5th annual Doing Business in India
Report on Wednesday.
Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India with 56 per cent stating that it is getting
easier to do business in India, and only 21 per cent responded that it has not improved, while 23
per cent were undecided.
Perhaps, the most positive message in the report for the country’s prime minister Narendra Modi’s
government is the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption.
When the UKIBC published its first Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50 per cent of the
respondents cited corruption as a top barrier to operating in India.
This figure has improved year on year, and in 2019, it dropped to 17.5 per cent.
There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is
a positive, the report opined
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be ‘legal and regulatory impediments’,
which were cited by 59 per cent of the respondents as a major barrier
‘Identifying a suitable partner’ and ‘taxation issues’ are the next two most cited barriers.
It is therefore no surprise that the most popular reform among UK businesses is ‘improving’ the
quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 per cent of respondents urging the Indian government to act in
this area
The second most popular reform request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9 per cent of
the respondents calling for a ‘simplification’ of the Goods and Services Tax (GST)’.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification of GST have reduced from 24 per
cent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with India’s new tax system.
It also shows that India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be
telecommunication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability of
support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain.

29. Maharashtra is making the most improvements on business environment than any other state in
India, with 36.67 per cent of the respondents giving it the honour.
Maharashtra is followed by Delhi, which captured 20 per cent of the vote.
With Brexit on the agenda of UK companies, 26 per cent said that they planned to do more
business with India as a direct result of the UK leaving the EU.
This will be a further boost to the flow of goods, services and investment between the two
countries.
UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said: “The findings of this report reflect the long-
term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market.
“There have been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still
to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving
bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for
UK and, indeed, all businesses in India”.
The report is based on the results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable in London with
Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views of UK companies
and higher education institutions on the operating environment in India and their reform priorities.

30. Website News IP
Link UK India Business Council releases annual Doing Business in India Report
for 2019
UK India Business Council releases annual Doing Business
in India Report for 2019
The UK India Business Council (UKIBC) on Wednesday released its 5th annual Doing Business
in India Report. The report is based on the results of extensive discussions, including a roundtable
in London with Union Commerce Minister Mr Piyush Goyal, and a survey that captured the views
of UK companies and higher education institutions on the operating environment in India and their
reform priorities. Overall, the survey respondents were positive about India, with 56% stating that
it is getting easier to do business in India, and only 21% saying that it has not improved (while
23% were undecided). Perhaps the most positive message in the report for Mr. Modi’s
Government is the dramatic drop in perceptions of corruption. When the UKIBC published its first
Doing Business in India report in 2014, over 50% of respondents cited corruption as a top barrier
to operating in India. This figure has improved year on year, and in 2019 it dropped to 17.5%.
There is clearly still work to do to eliminate all forms of corruption, but the continued reduction is
a positive.
The most persistent barrier to doing business continues to be ‘legal and regulatory impediments’,
which were cited by 59% of respondents as a major barrier. ‘Identifying a suitable partner’ and
‘taxation issues’ are the next two most cited barriers. It is therefore no surprise that the most
popular reform among UK businesses is ‘improving the quality of bureaucracy, with 28.6 percent
of respondents urging the Government of India to act in this area. The second most popular reform
request was related to the bureaucracy, with 16.9% of respondents calling for a ‘simplification of
the Goods and Services Tax (GST)’.Nevertheless, it is worth noting that calls for the simplification
of GST have reduced from 24 percent in 2018, reflecting that companies are coming to grips with
India’s new tax system, and India has improved its implementation since the original rollout.
The Government of India announced the reduction of India’s corporate tax rate (from 30% to
25.17% after cess and surcharges are accounted for) prior to the completion of our survey,
perhaps one reason as to why India’s previously high corporate tax rate was not mentioned by
our respondents. The highest scoring aspects of the Indian business environment continue to be
tele-communication facilities, closely followed by the availability of skilled labour, the availability
of support and service providers, and the availability of supply chain. For the first time, the UKIBC
canvassed views on how India’s States and Union Territories are performing on the ease of doing
business. When asked “which states are making the most improvements on business
environment?”, Maharashtra was the clear winner, with 36.67 percent of respondents giving it the
honour, followed by Delhi, which captured 20 percent of the vote. With Brexit on the agenda of
UK companies, 26 percent said that they planned to do more business with India as a direct result
of the UK leaving the EU. This will be a further boost to the flow of goods, services and investment

31. between the two countries. UKIBC Chief Executive, Richard Heald, OBE, said that, “The findings
of this report reflect the long-term advantages of the huge and growing Indian market. There have
been improvements, particularly in tackling corruption, but there is clearly much still to do to
remove the persistent barriers to doing business, particularly when it comes to improving
bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for
UK and, indeed, all businesses in India”. Heald went on to say, “The UKIBC and our members
look forward to our continued dialogue with governments across India, and we remain fully
committed to working together to further improve the ease of doing business”.