Legal, regulations hurdles for UK biz in India

Hyderabad: The most persistent barrier that the UK companies face as a challenge in doing business in India continues to be legal and regulatory impediments, the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) said.

In the fifth annual Doing Business in India Report, UKIBC said that 59 per cent of respondents have cited legal and regulatory framework in the country as a major barrier, followed by identifying a suitable partner and taxation issues, as the other two most mentioned hurdle.

Overall, the survey noted that 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.

Coming to Telangana as a State for doing business, Dr Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, said, Telangana is in the top five preferred destinations for UK businesses.

"Due to a display of immense work and steps taken by the Telangana government towards creating a business conducive environment, the State has made its spot in the top five States.

One of the measures taken by the State is the single-stop clearance facility that ensures swift clearances to set up industries based on self-certification by the entrepreneurs," he added.

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, government of Telangana, termed the report as very insightful and said, "Telangana though has a positive ranking, it is not the number one State of preference yet for UK businesses.

We would try to understand the exact areas of challenges and struggles and bring in reforms to support these businesses here."