Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen has openly criticized India’s bureaucratic challenges, stating that excessive paperwork significantly hampers business operations in the country compared to others. Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July 1 X post praising the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a “landmark reform” that has improved the ease of doing business, Petersen shared his personal experience of setting up a business in India. He claimed he had to file more “useless paperwork” for his Indian entity than in all other countries combined.
Petersen’s remarks sparked a range of reactions on social media, with some users agreeing that Indian bureaucracy remains a major obstacle to business growth. Comments highlighted that the ease of doing business in India may be overstated and suggested that global corporations need to call out these issues more openly. Others pointed out that bureaucratic hurdles are not unique to India and can be encountered in Western countries as well.
Some users sought clarification on the specific types of paperwork involved, noting that similar compliance requirements exist in other countries such as Dubai and Scotland. This sparked a broader discussion on the complexities of regulatory processes worldwide and the challenges businesses face in navigating them across different jurisdictions.
