Out of the many discouraging stories on the behavior of local chieftains around the country, a few provide hope for the betterment of their economies. These are the chief executives who are willing to sweat it out and even become 'servants' to attract investment in their areas. They go out of their way to instill policies that remove barriers to investment: from easing the licensing process to revoking regulations that are not pro-business. The following are this year's nine investment-friendly regions selected by Tempo.