UK offers help to improve India's ranking in ease of doing business

India's ranking in Ease of Doing Business index 2015 slipped by two notches to 142 from 140 in 2014 out of 189 countries covered

Britain has offered to assist Maharashtra improve India’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index.

UK-India Business Council and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) will sign a pact to this effect during British Minister for Trade and Investment Ian Livingston’s visit to Gujarat and Mumbai from Saturday.

India’s ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index 2015 slipped by two notches, to 142 from 140 in 2014 of 189 countries covered.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants India to break into the top 50 in three years.

Livingston is leading a contingent of about 60 British companies and 100 delegates to the Vibrant Gujarat meet.

This is one of the largest delegations of any country at the business meet this year, with sectors including advanced engineering, manufacturing, retail, financial services, infrastructure, design and education.

In Mumbai, Livingston will inaugurate the new UK-India Business Centre at Bandra Kurla Complex with the Maharashtra minister for industries, Subhash Desai.

He will also announce the opening of a power plant built by British company OPG Power Ventures, with OPG planning to invest up to £1.5 billion more in Gujarat’s energy infrastructure, the largest single British direct investment in the state’s power sector.