New Delhi: India has remained ranked at the 27th spot in competitiveness in 2007 according to a survey by IMD, a Lausanne-based premier business school. The parameters for the survey included domestic economy, international trade, international investment, labour market, social framework and employment.

In the Asia-Pacific region, India has been ranked ninth for the second year in a row. Among the countries with population of more than 20 million, India has secured the 10th ranking, compared with 18th in 2003.

According to the survey report, India has improved the most in the number of mobile phone subscribers, direct investment in stocks abroad, export of commercial services, Internet users, high-tech exports, total reserves, per capita number of computers, stock market capitalisation, export of goods, direct investment inflows, trade-to-GDP ratio, and urbanisation.

The areas in which India has seen the sharpest decline are personal income tax rates, consumer price inflation, direct investment flows abroad, ease of doing business, long-term employment, brain drain, emphasis on science in schools, freedom to foreign investors to acquire control of domestic companies, bureaucracy, exchange rates, current account balance, and water transportation.

India has fallen to the 10th position in economic performance from seventh position in 2006, a quantum leap from the 20th place it was at four years ago.

While the report says the efficiency of the government has worsened, efficiency in business has recorded some improvement. Compensation levels, working hours, attraction and retention of talent and remuneration to management staff have been recognised as strengths. After showing some improvement in infrastructure in the last three years, India has been ranked 50th, the same as in 2003.