'No bribes, no queues...': Founder sets up business in Dubai in days, slams India’s bureaucratic nightmare

Setting up a business in India often feels like navigating a maze of endless approvals, archaic regulations, and frustrating delays. In contrast, countries across Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America have reimagined the experience with single-window clearances, seamless online registrations, and transparent frameworks — making entrepreneurship a far less grueling endeavour.

A founder recently shared a firsthand account of setting up a business in Dubai, calling it a refreshing glimpse into what a truly business-friendly environment looks like. “I know that we like to boast about ease of business, but this was my first experience with what an actually business friendly country looks like,” the founder remarked.

Recounting the journey in a Reddit post, the founder explained, “I recently set up a business in Dubai — don't want to go into the reasons. The business was set up in one of Dubai's free zones. You also get a resident visa along with the business — valid for two years.”

Importantly, the founder emphasized the absence of familiar frustrations: “I didn't have to pay any bribes, follow any confusing instructions, wait in any extended queues. It cost me a decent bit, but everything was so brisk and smooth that it was worth the price.”

Comparing it to India’s system, the founder added, “Now this is the 3rd time I'm setting up a business. I already have two businesses in India. Both times, it took between 1-1.5 months just to open a current bank account. I was asked to share pictures of my office with arcane rules for the company's name placard, countless documents, and a million followups.”

Reflecting further on the difference in government services, the founder shared, “I appreciated how I was treated in Dubai by everyone from the immigration authorities to the post office people. These were all government entities but there were clear queuing systems (not that there was any rush), they sat me down, politely took the documents, and got done with everything extremely fast. Going into a government office and coming out with your work done in under 5 minutes is not something I'm used to.”

“I know that we like to boast about ease of business, but this was my first experience with what an actually business friendly country looks like,” the post concluded.

The sentiment struck a chord with many. 

One user chimed in, “I recently chose to incorporate in the US. I’m sitting in India. Incorporation confirmation came within a week. Official documents came in about 4 weeks, delayed because there’s some flux in the US right now. Everything was online. I never visited anyone’s office. I tried over 2 months to make incorporating in India before deciding US. There’s just so many archaic policies that make incorporating in India just a strategically bad decision. Even more than policies, so many critical resources for digital businesses are just not allowed to be used in India!”

Another user offered a starker comparison: “I am a part of a 45+ years old business. We wanted to expand geographically and started offices in two new cities in India. I had to bribe, provide infinite documents, and it took its fair bit of time. Then I had an opportunity to open an office in the USA. The US process was so damn straightforward, reasonable, and humane in its approach. It was effectively 2x of what I spent here in India but there was zero stress, zero harassment, zero risk, zero hassle from the bank who was actually happy to see a new customer unlike Indian banks who are literally leeches. The accountant I paid to get some of my paperwork in place actually made right commitments for timelines and papers required.”