MNC in India are finding themselves on the wrong side of norms. Is that because doing business in India without indulging in corruption is close to impossible?
In India, 51 # of licences are required to start a retail store (source), and this is just one of the examples. Multiple windows of clearances breed corruption. The Government knows this, but does nothing.
Two years back, myself and a mutual friend started a 'Research & Consulting' firm. Right from getting the company registered, to obtaining TIN - we had to bribe our way through. This was a side job, the cash flow was good, we sold our social lives to work (endless tele-conferences, f2f meetings, powerpoint presentations, spreadsheets), had to face a very competitive market dominated by MNCs such as Deloitte, Accenture and even local Indian firms coupled with a very negative business environment. Files doesn't move from one table to another, unless bribe is paid. To get my passport done way back in early 2000s, I had to shell out almost 60K. These people don't even listen unless they are bribed. A child is born in a family, bribe needs to be paid to obtain the birth certificate. Someone is dead, bribe needs to be paid for the death certificate. It cannot even be imagined how corrupt Indian administration is. And it's frustrating to read this kind of news in the morning newspaper.
India is at a dismal ranking of # 132 in ease of doing business.
Anyone from this board had a similar experience doing business in India(?) or in any other country?
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