The NDA government is well into its second year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that there has been considerable debate over the political and economic impact of the new regime. Modi, who won on the basis of a 'development agenda' has brought in a lot of flagship programmes like 'Make in India' and ‘Start up; Stand up India'. In fact, PM Modi's relentless efforts on creating a business-friendly environment are visible from his foreign trips inviting countries to invest in India and also from his emphasis on boosting domestic production. But despite his push for ease of business, it is surprising to see certain contrasting figures of risk rankings on the business environment in the country. The numbers are not only unstable but are also seen to have shot up by leaps and bounds. Graph loading. (App users click here for the graph) According to the India Risk Survey (IRS) 2015 released by FICCI, risks to the business environment from corruption, terrorism, business espionage and cyber threat have drastically increased since the NDA government came into power in 2014. Risks from corruption is ranked one and terrorism, business espionage and cyber threat risks jumped from 10, 9, 5 to 3,4,2 respectively. Graph loading. (App users click here for the graph) Though ranking of 'Corruption Bribery & Corporate Frauds' as a risk didn't change at all from 2013 to 2014, it seems the new government didn't do much to contain the situation. Unlike risk ranking of corruption which was stable since 2013, 'Terrorism & Insurgency' and 'Business Espionage' shot during the NDA tenure till February of 2015. The risk from corruption is widespread across India. The report says in all the regions: north, south, east, west, 'Corruption Bribery & Corporate Frauds' is among the top three risks faced by business establishments. It is reported to be a top risk in North and West. Graph loading. (App users click here for the graph) However, as a positive development, there is less risk from 'Political & Governance Instability' and 'Strikes, Closures & Unrest' which fell from 3 and 2 to 11 and 6 respectively in rankings since the govt came into power (2014-15).
