B-READY Assessment
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: PIB
Subject: Economy/Miscellaneous
Context: The inclusion of India in the Business Ready (B-READY) 2026 assessment has renewed attention on India’s business reform trajectory.
About the B-READY Assessment:
What is B-READY?
• World Bank Group’s Business Ready (B-READY) is a global benchmarking exercise designed to assess the business and investment climate across economies. It replaces the earlier Doing Business Report with a more transparent, comprehensive, and modern methodology.
Launched In: Following the discontinuation of the World Bank’s Doing Business Report (DBR) Report in 2020, the World Bank launched the B-Ready Assessment in 2024.
Organisation Involved:
• Developed and administered by the World Bank Group (WBG)
• Data collected through expert consultations and firm-level surveys (World Bank Enterprise Surveys – WBES)
Aim of B-READY:
• To provide a quantitative and evidence-based assessment of the business environment.
• To evaluate how regulations and public services support private sector development.
• To promote inclusive, sustainable, and digitally enabled economic growth.
Three Pillars of B-READY
• Pillar I – Regulatory Framework
• Assesses rules and regulations governing business entry, operation, and closure. Focuses on statutory laws (de jure framework).
• Assesses rules and regulations governing business entry, operation, and closure.
• Focuses on statutory laws (de jure framework).
• Pillar II – Public Services
• Evaluates government-provided infrastructure and institutional support. Includes digital systems, licensing authorities, dispute resolution bodies, etc.
• Evaluates government-provided infrastructure and institutional support.
• Includes digital systems, licensing authorities, dispute resolution bodies, etc.
• Pillar III – Operational Efficiency
• Measures ease of compliance and real-world implementation (de facto). Captures nationwide firm-level experiences through surveys.
• Measures ease of compliance and real-world implementation (de facto).
• Captures nationwide firm-level experiences through surveys.
Key Features of B-READY:
• Lifecycle-Based Assessment Framework: Evaluates businesses across ten topics covering the complete firm lifecycle—entry, operation/expansion, and exit—ensuring a holistic understanding of regulatory and market conditions.
• Three-Pillar Structure for Comprehensive Evaluation: Built on Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency, integrating legal provisions (de jure) with real-world implementation (de facto) through firm surveys.
• Integration of Cross-Cutting Themes: Embeds Digital Adoption, Environmental Sustainability, and Gender Inclusion across all topics—making it aligned with modern economic governance priorities.
• Dual Data Collection Methodology: Combines expert consultations (laws and regulations) with firm-level surveys (World Bank Enterprise Surveys) to ensure both statutory accuracy and ground-level realism.
• Annual, Transparent Global Benchmarking: Conducted by the World Bank Group and published annually, it replaces the earlier Doing Business Report with improved methodology, transparency, and broader institutional coverage.