India soars higher KPMG.com/in © 20©118 20KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entitywiss. All rights entity reserved.ed. India soars higher © 20©118 20KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entitywiss. All rights entity reserveded Moody's upgrades India's India most ‘competitive economy’ sovereign rating in South Asia - WEF, for the first time ranks 40th in 2017 global competitiveness ranking in 14 years 175 GW Over 95 million citizens of renewable across 90 cities energy directly benefitted targeted to be generated by 2022 by the Smart Cities Mission *Average exchange rate of 1USD=INR64.685 for 2017 has been used throughout the document for conversion purposes World Bank’s Doing FDI in 2016-17 - Business 2018: Ranks 100 (up 30 points) highest ever for a fiscal year at USD 60 Billion IBC together with PSB recapitalisation package GST has created GST a single market; will lead to more formalisation likely to push up of the economy credit growth by widening the tax base Over 6,000 startups Targeted training recognised under Startup India of 10 million youth by 2020 Foreword In 2016, KPMG in India published a white paper, India initiatives to improve EODB in the country06. As a Soars High, highlighting the country’s growth story. result, India is now placed amongst the top-five This year, we provide an update, as India continues countries that improved its ranking in the World to make progress with policy reforms and initiatives Bank’s Doing Business 2018 Report and, for the first that are making India a place with unprecedented time was ranked in the top 100 economies. India opportunities for global and domestic businesses. recorded improvements in 9 out of 10 indicators supported by major measures such as time-bound India’s progress on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing clearance of applications, de-licensing manufacturing Business rankings, to a rank of 100, progressing 01 of defence equipment, single-window clearance from 142 just three years ago (2015), reflects mechanism, reducing documents required for trade a focus on this topic at the centre and the states. and introducing a single form for online return filing. Building on bankruptcy reforms, major non- This should be recognised as just the beginning of performing assets situations were identified for India’s continued efforts to become one of the most resolution and actions moving forward. Foreign investor friendly nations, as it continues to focus on Direct Investment (FDI) was further liberalised. progressing in areas such as trade across borders, In 2016-17, FDI reached an all-time high of USD60.1 02 enforcement of contracts, registration of property billion . and starting a business to create a more enabling, A stable macroeconomic environment is a precursor participative and inviting economic ecosystem. to growth. India has demonstrated a resolve to Improving ease of doing business is an important achieve fiscal consolidation, complemented with enabling factor for attracting investments. Other aggressive and not purely populist measures. Retail aspects to advance investments are the promotion inflation averaged at 3.4 per cent for the April- of new sectors for investments, skill enhancement January FY18 period04, significantly lower than 4.5 03 and employability. These areas are intertwined and per cent during the same period in FY17 , and, while are of key importance to investors. These are being fiscal deficit for FY18 modestly increased to 3.5 per addressed through several central government cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), attributed schemes, which have been adopted by most mainly to uncertainty over Goods and Services Tax states. New regulations also play a key role. While (GST) collections, the government is committed 04 the GST unifies the country’s tax regime, the IBC to further lower it to 3.3 per cent in FY19 . The helps address the resolution of high levels of Non government has also addressed the deterrents and Performing Assets (NPAs) - USD128 billion across 38 roadblocks to the country’s potential to grow, with listed public and private banks07, which have been progressive policy reforms such as GST and the weighing down the banking system. newly formed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). This report also highlights India’s efforts to In spite of some reformative steps that slowed the be a digitised economy. A consequence of growth momentum in the first quarter of FY18, the 04 demonetisation, adopted in November 2016, was the economy is likely to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2018, significant thrust to digital transactions in the country. higher than the advanced economies and the world, 05 The volume of digital transactions has increased i.e., 2 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively . India significantly, reaching a record level of 1.1 billion in has been recording the highest growth rate amongst December 201708. In addition, the cash-to-GDP ratio the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa declined to 8.8 per cent as of FY17, registering a (BRICS) economies. Buttressing India’s stability is its 04 drop from 12.2 per cent in FY16, indicating increased foreign exchange reserve of about USD420 billion . formalisation of the economy09. Ease of doing business (EODB) is an area where This report also analyses the progress achieved concerted actions have led to important results. under several national priority programmes. Skill The government has adopted more than 7,000 01. Doing Business 2015 – Going Beyond Efficiency, India economy profile 2015, World Bank Group 21 May 2017 02. Quarterly factsheet on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), April 2000-March 2017, Department of Industrial 07. Bad loans of Indian banks cross Rs 8,00,000 cr: Banking mess explained in 7 charts, Firstpost, 17 Policy & Promotion August 2017 03. Database on Indian Economy, Reserve Bank of India – accessed on 16 January 2018 08. Bankwise Volumes in ECS/NEFT/RTGS/Mobile Transactions - December 2017, Reserve Bank of India, 04. The Economic Survey 2018, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, 29 January 2018 accessed on 16 January 2018 05. World economic situation and prospects 2018, United Nations, December 2017 09. Annual Report 2016-17, Reserve Bank of India, accessed on 16 January 2018 06. Have taken 7,000 steps to improve ease of doing business: Nirmala Sitharaman, The Economic Times, © 2018 KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. India, a flagship initiative of the government, has products12,13. The government intends to enhance the been able to strengthen the ecosystem with manufacturing sector’s contribution to 25 per cent of qualified individuals by way of increasing the number GDP. Hence, several central government schemes of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in the country are made to benefit this sector directly.14 Key steps and offering the total number of Qualification have been taken by the government for this sector Packs (QPs) across sectors. The setting up of including reduction of the income tax rate of 25 per State Skill Development Missions by states has cent for MSME companies having a turnover of upto advanced the upskilling of the country’s workforce. USD38.65 million15 and Minimum Alternate Tax credit Similarly, the Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart carry forward extended to 15 years from 10 years. Cities Mission have gained momentum and are promoting administrative professionalism and citizen Looking ahead, the promise of the many government engagement. Other initiatives like Startup India initiatives mentioned must be realised through and Make in India have made inroads into different rigorous monitoring of these programmes. India still sectors of the economy, helping states foster a needs to take further steps to restructure its trade culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. and FDI regime. The country needs to be even more responsive and flexible to address global investors’ Sound infrastructure is important for business. requirements. Many steps have been taken to address port development and connectivity issues to make India It is now imperative that a fine balance be struck a global logistics centre. The coastal shipping sector between the need to push public investment on in India currently contributes to merely 6 per cent the one hand and keep the fiscal deficit under of the entire coastal and inland waterway freight check on the other. Consumer spending could get a movement. Plans are underway to double this share boost with a wise mix of public spending and other by 202510. An area of significant progress has been fiscal reforms to spur demand in the nation. The roads, the lifeline of the country, where significant government will need to facilitate increased exports projects are being accomplished through public and further streamline the GST ecosystem. private partnership (PPP) models. This sector has Reforms are vital for sustainable growth. The Indian been opened up for 100 per cent FDI under the economy is moving in the right direction with automatic approval route, subject to applicable initiatives taken towards stepping up infrastructure laws and regulations. Bharatmala is envisaged as investment, land and labour market reforms and a programme to develop 34,800 km of roads in its measures to boost manufacturing growth. While first phase11, along the lines of Sagarmala which all these can still be classified as an ‘unfinished is a connectivity initiative in the ports and shipping agenda’, a significant volume of work has already sector. The Railway Budget in 2017 was consolidated been undertaken towards the completion of these with the Union Budget and the government tasks, in terms of a conducive policy environment earmarked a historic budget outlay to reshape Indian as well as on the ground effort.