India Tops Global Business Climate Rankings Across Over 40 Markets, Swedish Survey Finds

New Delhi: India has secured the highest business climate rating among over 40 major global markets in the Business Climate Survey 2026, conducted by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in India.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said the result reflected India’s stability, growth prospects and improving ease of doing business despite uncertainty globally.

Survey Covers 41 Global Markets

The survey compiled views from Swedish companies in 41 markets. It compared economic performance, business outlook and operating conditions in important Swedish export destinations.

The study also examined challenges faced by companies and opportunities for Swedish businesses planning to enter new markets or expand operations.

India Leads Asia-Pacific Optimism

Asia-Pacific emerged as the most optimistic region, with India and Vietnam receiving strongest business climate scores.

Sentiment weakened in the Middle East and Africa. Saudi Arabia recorded a sharp drop in positive responses, falling from 90% in 2025 to 44% in 2026.

Companies in the Americas and Europe were more positive than last year, while Ireland entered the survey’s top-performing group.

Profitability Remains Strong

Despite different regional conditions, 64% of Swedish companies reported profitable operations across the markets surveyed.

The Americas recorded the strongest regional expectations. At the individual-market level, India, the Philippines and Poland showed the highest growth projections.

India Among Leading Investment Destinations

Around 44% of Swedish companies plan to increase investment during 2026, marginally lower than 45% in 2025.

Investment expectations remained stable across Asia-Pacific, with India and the Philippines among the preferred markets. Europe continued to trail other regions in planned investment.

Survey Results Carry Conflict Caveat

The survey said about 75% of responses were received before the Middle East conflict began on February 28, while 25% came later.

It cautioned that the full impact on business confidence, revenue expectations and investment plans may not be reflected in the findings.