India's China gap

Comparative foreign direct investment data among emerging markets and the World Bank’s various business environment indicators offer us a rough index of India’s poor showing as a desirable investment destination. The narrative is well established: Red-tape, corruption, policy uncertainty, inadequate personal security and so on. But how do potential investors and business people, who have to live and work here, really see us? Can India become the new factory to the world with the US-China trade war forcing manufacturers to look elsewhere?

Given India’s size, the country has been ideally positioned to reap the gains. Instead, India’s suitability is being