About the Index
The Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) report was published annually by the World Bank Group from 2003 to 2020. It ranked economies on the regulatory environment for starting and operating a business. The Doing Business 2020 report, published in October 2019, was the 17th and final edition, covering 190 economies.
Why It Was Discontinued
In September 2021, the World Bank permanently discontinued the Doing Business report after an independent investigation (conducted by law firm WilmerHale) found that senior World Bank officials had manipulated data to artificially improve rankings of certain countries — notably China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Azerbaijan — in the 2018 and 2020 editions. The then-World Bank President (Jim Yong Kim) and then-CEO (Kristalina Georgieva, later IMF Managing Director) were implicated in the scandal.
Replacement
The World Bank launched the Business Ready (B-READY) project in 2023 as the successor, with a revised methodology focusing on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. B-READY 2024 (released September 2024) covered only 50 pilot economies — India was not included. India is expected to be assessed in the third edition (~2026) as coverage expands to 180+ countries.
Methodology (2020 Edition)
The EoDB measured regulations across 10 parameters (each covering the lifecycle of a business):
| Parameter | What It Measured |
|---|---|
| Starting a Business | Procedures, time, cost, minimum capital |
| Dealing with Construction Permits | Procedures, time, cost, quality control |
| Getting Electricity | Procedures, time, cost, reliability |
| Registering Property | Procedures, time, cost, quality |
| Getting Credit | Credit information systems, collateral laws |
| Protecting Minority Investors | Shareholder rights, governance safeguards |
| Paying Taxes | Payments, time, tax rate |
| Trading across Borders | Time and cost to export/import |
| Enforcing Contracts | Time, cost, quality of judicial process |
| Resolving Insolvency | Recovery rate, time, cost, framework |
Score range: 0 (worst regulatory performance) to 100 (best — frontier of regulatory efficiency).
India’s Performance
India ranked 63rd out of 190 economies with a Distance to Frontier (DTF) score of 71.0, a significant leap of 14 positions from 77th in the previous year. India was recognised as a top 10 improver for the third consecutive year (2018, 2019, 2020).
Parameter-wise Performance (2020)
| Parameter | India’s Rank | Key Reform |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a Business | 136 | SPICe+ form for company incorporation |
| Dealing with Construction Permits | 27 | Online building permit system |
| Getting Electricity | 22 | Reduced time to 53 days in Delhi/Mumbai |
| Registering Property | 154 | Digital land records |
| Getting Credit | 25 | CERSAI modernisation |
| Protecting Minority Investors | 13 | Strong SEBI regulations |
| Paying Taxes | 115 | GST simplification |
| Trading across Borders | 68 | Single-window customs |
| Enforcing Contracts | 163 | Commercial courts |
| Resolving Insolvency | 52 | IBC implementation |
Historical Journey
| Year | Rank | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 142 | 189 |
| 2015 | 130 | 189 |
| 2017 | 100 | 190 |
| 2018 | 77 | 190 |
| 2019 | 77 | 190 |
| 2020 | 63 | 190 |
India’s rise from 142nd (2014) to 63rd (2020) was one of the most dramatic improvements globally, driven by targeted reforms under the “Make in India” initiative.
Global Top Performers (2020)
| Rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 86.8 |
| 2 | Singapore | 86.2 |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 85.3 |
| 4 | Denmark | 85.3 |
| 5 | South Korea | 84.0 |
Key Highlights
- India implemented 8 business reforms recognised in the 2020 report — the highest among South Asian nations
- India was the only large country (population > 100 million) in the top 10 improvers for three consecutive years
- Protecting Minority Investors (13th) and Getting Electricity (22nd) were India’s strongest parameters
- Registering Property (154th) and Enforcing Contracts (163rd) remained India’s weakest areas, reflecting slow land administration and judicial delays
- The report measured reforms in Delhi and Mumbai only (not pan-India), which limited representativeness
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: India’s final rank (63rd), 10 parameters, top performers, year of discontinuation (2021), reason for discontinuation (data manipulation), successor report (B-READY) Mains GS-3: Business environment reforms — GST, IBC, RERA, Make in India, Start-up India; judicial reforms for contract enforcement; land reforms for property registration Interview: “The EoDB was discontinued due to data integrity issues — does this undermine India’s reform narrative, or were the underlying reforms genuine?”
