The Young & The Restless

“Achievers are those who have redefined impossible, changing what can’t be done into a work in progress.” — Richelle E. Goodrich

In a challenging economic environment, the recent annual Ease of Doing Business report released by the World Bank brought some cheer, where India improved its position in the global rankings — moving up 14 places to the 63rd spot. PM Narendra Modi had set a target for India to be in the Top 50 nations by 2020, and the latest rankings show that India is almost up there.

India ranks ninth among the most improved countries. The World Bank said that India was among the top ten improvers for the third consecutive year. The Modi government’s Make in India initiative came in for a special mention in the report.

Yes, there is scope for improvements and correctives — namely in “starting a business”, “enforcing contracts”, “paying taxes” and “registering property” — the parameters where India continues to remain below 100 countries in the 190-country list.

Yet, the fact is that from the 130th position in the index in 2016 to the 63rd position in 2020, India has travelled a fair bit of distance.

India saw another survey in the recent past — the Global Hunger Index. In this report, brought out by the International Food Policy Research Institute, India is ranked 102 out of 117 countries, much behind the likes of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even Pakistan.

The two reports show that India is a land of paradoxes. On the one hand, we take pride in the fact that businesses find it easy to flourish and grow, on the other hand we find that there are children who sleep hungry. So, what’s the way out?

There is no reason to apply brakes on reforms. India must continue to be a better place to do business, attract newer investments, and tide over these challenging times. At the same time, we need to ensure that our social indicators and human development indices are among the best. While the government is doing, and will continue to do its bit, it’s the private sector — the entrepreneurs and the startup ecosystem that will have to innovate, improvise, and create wealth and jobs.

It’s in this context that BW Businessworld’s cover story is important. In our annual special issue, we showcase 40 entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who have the spark and promise to make it big in the future. Many of the past winners are unicorns today. We are sure you will hear more about the BW Businessworld’s latest 40 under 40 winners in the days to come. This issue of BW Businessworld comes with all other regular features, and columns.

Do keep sending your feedback.

Happy reading!