Scepticism remains over Modi's vow to make India the 'easiest' place to do business

Gandhinagar, India

NARENDRA Modi may have pledged to make India the "easiest" place to do business, but experts remain sceptical about how the prime minister intends to overcome obstacles such as corruption, red tape and an arduous tax regime.

Hundreds of executives gathered this week in Mr Modi's long-time fiefdom of Gujarat to hear him promise to transform India's business climate, with "unlimited" reforms designed to attract foreign investment.

Everyone from World Bank president Jim Yong Kim to US Secretary of State John Kerry publicly heaped praise on Mr Modi's efforts to kickstart economic growth since his right-wing party stormed to power at elections in May.

But behind the scenes at the major "Vibrant Gujarat" summit, the mood among some was more cautious while economists rattled off a string of substantial reforms the gov…