New Delhi, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India has been ranked the top market for business climate among more than 40 global markets in the 2026 Business Climate Survey conducted by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in India (SCCI), Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.
Highlighting the findings, Goyal said India’s business environment was demonstrating stability, growth and improving ease of doing business despite global economic uncertainties.
The Global Business Climate Survey 2026 covers 41 markets and captures the views of Swedish companies operating internationally. It provides a framework to compare economic performance, business outlook and operating conditions across key Swedish export markets, while identifying challenges and opportunities for companies planning to enter or expand in different markets.
The survey found that the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region continued to record the most optimistic sentiment, with India and Vietnam among the highest-rated markets.
In contrast, business sentiment in the Middle East and Africa became more cautious. Saudi Arabia recorded a particularly sharp decline, with the share of companies reporting a positive outlook falling from 90 per cent in 2025 to 44 per cent in 2026.
The survey said perceptions in the Americas and Europe were somewhat more positive than in 2025, with Ireland moving into the top tier.
It also cautioned that the timing of the survey could have affected the findings. Data collection coincided with the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28, with around 75 per cent of responses received before that date and the remaining 25 per cent afterwards.
According to the survey, a comparison of responses collected before and after the outbreak indicated that the conflict particularly affected companies’ perceptions of business conditions, expected industry turnover and investment plans.
Despite differences across regions, 64 per cent of Swedish companies surveyed reported profitability in the markets covered.
The Americas recorded the strongest regional expectations, while India, the Philippines and Poland had the highest market-level growth projections.
The survey also found that 44 per cent of Swedish companies planned to increase investments in 2026, marginally lower than 45 per cent in 2025. The decline was attributed largely to weaker investment sentiment in the Americas.
APAC remained relatively stable, with the Philippines and India among the leading investment markets, while Europe continued to trail other regions.
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