India 16th most risky place to invest

LONDON: The United Kingdom-based Global Risks Atlas 2011 on Friday described India as the 16th riskiest country to invest in for the security hazards it poses and rather embarrassingly clubs it with Niger, Bangladesh and Mali. The Atlas is published by Maplecroft, a consultancy founded by Alyson Warhurst, chair of strategy and international development at Warwick Business School.

The evaluation is structured on seven key global risks including macroeconomic risk and threats around security, governance, resource security, climate change, social resilience and illicit economies.

Maplecroft assessed India faces simultaneous threats of terrorist attacks from Islamists and Maoists. It also points at India's lack of social resilience despite a robust economic growth and cites its poor human rights record. It says large sections of the population lack access to basic services such as education, healthcare and sanitation, and highlights its less productive workforce, greater susceptibility to pandemics and susceptible to social unrest.

The four countries flagged red as extreme risks are Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; in other words, un-investible. Pakistan is not far behind at 7th.

In an exacting analysis, even developed markets like the US and Western Europe, including the UK, are branded medium risk. Only 35 out of the 175 countries covered in the groups Global Risks Atlas 2011, ranked as low risk.

Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway are listed as among the least risky countries to invest; and Norway claimed the overall crown as the safest place.