Majority of Indians see corruption as widespread: Gallup

About 73 per cent respondents said corruption was pervasive in the government and 67 per cent saying it is widespread in business.

Perceptions of corruption in business is higher among entrepreneurs, the poll said.

Perceptions of widespread corruption within the business community are particularly high among current business owners (72 per cent) and those who plan to start a business within the next 12 months (80 per cent).

This likely puts a serious roadblock in the path of investment and business development, it said.

However, Indians are less likely to feel this way this year than they have been in several years, which may reflect rising optimism about the government and citizen efforts to fight the country's corruption problems.

Earlier this year, India's Supreme Court revoked the illegally awarded telecom licenses -- possibly giving hope to millions of Indians that their government may be prepared to rein in corruption, Gallup said.

In line with Gallup findings, a 2011 Legatum Institute Survey of Entrepreneurs in India reports, "More than nine in 10 entrepreneurs think [corruption] is a problem -- and 80 per cent believe the problem to be getting worse."

The same report said that cleaning up corruption is the most important factor for India's future economic growth.

Although Indians are less likely this year to see corruption as widespread in their government, their confidence in the country's leadership remains lower than it was a few years ago, the poll said.

Sixty per cent currently say they are confident in their national government, down from 70 per cent in 2009. Residents likely became more frustrated when government ministers spent valuable legislative time addressing political scandals instead of the country's deteriorating economic conditions.

The beginning of 2012 shows signs of what could be the start of a positive turnaround in Indians' perceptions of corruption.

If the trend continues, it may signal a more favorable business climate for investment and economic growth.

Results of the survey are based on face-to-face interviews with 5,000 adults, aged 15 and older, conducted between January 29-March 8, 2012, in India. The maximum margin of sampling error is