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Focus Story  With this consultative process for policy making in place, India   Ease of                                                                                                                                                                                       Enhance Renewable Manufacturing and Battery Storage
        must act decisively across various key reform areas that are
        critical to driving competitiveness and unleashing growth.          Doing Business                                                                                                                                                                                      Expand solar, wind, battery, and HVDC manufacturing
 India's Next      Simplifying                                  Despite improvements in global rankings, doing business in                            Streamlining of land and labour markets, two historically                                                                 PLI outlay and R&D investment. Focus on critical minerals                                                                                     MSMEs are backbone of India’s economy but face constraints in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                through incentives, public-private joint ventures, increased
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                processing, recycling, and R&D partnerships to reduce
                   Regulation
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                import dependence.
 Generation   India’s regulatory environment remains complex. While the   India remains complicated. India must enhance ease of doing                 constrained factors of production, is critical for expanding                                                                                                                                                                                                            credit, compliance, and market access, which must be overcome
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              to make them competitive players.
                                                                                                                                                      investment, generating employment, and improving productivity.
                                                                business by creating an environment where businesses can
                                                                unleash their entrepreneurial energy.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Launch a National Formalization Strategy
                                                                                                                                                      Land
 Reforms: A   reform momentum has improved the landscape, regulations     Legislate Time-Bound, Faceless Service Delivery                              Strengthen the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB)                                                                    A time-bound, transparent, and efficient judiciary is critical to                                                                                   Strategy should focus on easing compliance and lowering
        still need to be streamlined to improve policy predictability

                                                                   A national law should mandate service delivery timelines
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                costs of formalisation, boosting productivity, employment
        and reduce the cost of compliance for businesses.
                                                                                                                                                         Strengthen and expand the IILB into a central platform not

                                                                   for approvals and redressal, with penalties for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and wages. As part of it, exempt MSMEs from approval
                                                                                                                                                         only for viewing available land but also for end-to-end
                                                                   non-compliance. Businesses should be categorized into risk
          Expedite the formation of the High-Level Committee on
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                requirements for the first three years of operation and set
 Competitiveness      Regulatory Reforms                           tiers (green, amber, red), each with defined response                                Create Integrated State Land Authorities                                                                            contract enforcement, dispute resolution, and investor confidence.                                                                                 Reward Success and Support Innovation
                                                                                                                                                         allotment and approvals.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                up MSME cells in all line ministries to provide coordinated
                                                                   timelines in terms of compliance and closure of application,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Fill Vacancies with Real-Time Tracking
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                support and simplify compliance.
           To anchor wide-ranging reforms, the proposed High-Level
                                                                   of 5 days for green tier firms and 30-90 days for amber and
           Committee on Regulatory Reforms must have a wide
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Establish digital dashboards to monitor judicial vacancies

                                                                                                                                                         States must form single-window integrated land authorities

                                                                   red firms.
 Agenda for  mandate to review all clearances, approvals, licenses, and     Mandate Use of the National Single Window System                           Digitize Change of Land Use and Registration                                                                          Adopt a National Litigation Policy                                                                                                               Implement a PLI-like rewards scheme for eligible MSMEs. To
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                and ensure timely coordination between the judiciary and
                                                                                                                                                         responsible for all land-related functions, including zoning,
           permits across the business lifecycle. The committee should
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                executive for appointments.
                                                                                                                                                         titling, and conversion, to reduce duplication and delays.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                support innovation, introduce a Technology and Innovation
           include industry leaders and regulatory experts, build on
                                                                   (NSWS)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Voucher Scheme to help MSMEs collaborate with research
           the work of prior advisory groups, and develop actionable
                                                                   Introduce legislation mandating NSWS as the sole digital

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                institutions.
           recommendations for governments at all levels.
 the Future    Institutionalize Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs)    Revamp Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP)                                      Online certification with digital signatures and QR codes                                                               Create a Central Tribunal Authority                                                                                                           Launch Skill Vouchers for MSMEs
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Policy should reduce frivolous government litigation by
                                                                   interface for all regulatory approvals and renewals. Central
                                                                                                                                                         must replace manual processes. Interdepartmental
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                setting thresholds for appeal and promoting settlement
                                                                   and state systems should be integrated into a unified
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                through Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
                                                                                                                                                         integration is essential for seamless verification and
                                                                   dashboard that monitors performance in real time.

           RIAs should be made mandatory for all major policy
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Launch Skill Vouchers that allow MSMEs to send workers to

                                                                                                                                                         approvals.
           decisions. These assessments must include cost-benefit
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                certified training providers for upskilling in emerging
 CII Suggestions  analysis, risk mapping, and stakeholder feedback. NITI Aayog      Shift BRAP from process-based to real-time, outcome-based           Rationalise stamp duty and registration charges                                                                        This body would standardize governance across tribunals,                                                                                        technologies. MSMEs should also be included in the PM
           can serve as the coordinating agency, with each ministry
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Internship Scheme.

                                                                                                                                                         Rationalise and harmonize rates across states in the range
                                                                   rankings. States should be ranked based on performance
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ensure performance monitoring, and reduce case backlogs
           establishing RIA cells for implementation.
                                                                   providing dynamic insights into reform implementation.
          Harmonize MCA and SEBI Regulations                      indicators integrated with their online single-window systems,                        of 3-5 per cent to reduce financial burden on businesses.                                                              by allocating resources more efficiently.                                                                                                       Modernize and Digitize Operations
                                                                                                                                                        Move Towards Conclusive Land Titling                                                                                  Expand Commercial Courts and ADR Councils                                                                                                        Create cluster-based Industry 4.0 adoption scheme where
           The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and SEBI should     Simplify Construction Permits and Automate Approvals                             States should replace the current presumptive titling                                                                                                                                                                                                                  registered tech providers help MSME clusters implement
 I ndia stands at a pivotal moment in its development journey.   outcomes that bring prosperity. Thus, building competitiveness   align laws and regulatory requirements to avoid duplication      Building permits should be granted through a unified online   system with conclusive land titles backed by government      States should set up more commercial courts, especially                                           tech and automation. Also set up an online P2P lending
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                in high-backlog districts. Simultaneously, expedite
           and reduce costs for listed and unlisted companies. Unified
 must be a comprehensive national strategy, one that is aimed
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                platform to improve technology use and financial access.
                                                                                                                                                         guarantees to minimize disputes.
 Over the past decade, a series of reforms have strengthened
 the foundations of the economy. With its sights set on   towards a shared goal of becoming a developed economy. This   digital reporting formats can significantly improve   platform with automated design scrutiny using software                                            the establishment of Arbitration and Mediation Councils                                                                                         Introduce Cluster Twinning Program for global
                                                                   such as AutoDCR. Joint inspections should be scheduled via
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                of India.
 becoming a Viksit Rashtra by 2047, now is the time for a young   requires sweeping reforms and policy initiatives.  regulatory clarity and efficiency.  a common digital dashboard to avoid delays.    Introduce a dynamic land zoning plan                                                                                                                                                                                   competitiveness
 and dynamic India to build on these gains. This demands deep     Amend the Companies Act for Simplification and                                        Dynamic and inclusive land zoning plans should be adopted,                                                            Digitize and Integrate Judicial Data
 structural reforms that accelerate the pace of economic   Central to this is the need for a consultative approach to   Decriminalization    Advance Risk-Based Inspections and Self-Certification  moving towards a “negative list” approach that allows                                                                                                                                                                       To enhance global competitiveness, a Cluster Twinning
 transformation by enhancing national competitiveness.   policymaking with institutional mechanisms for effective      A central committee should identify low-risk areas suitable   greater flexibility for land use based on evolving economic                                Strengthen the National Judicial Data Grid by mandating                                                                                         Programme should connect Indian MSME clusters with
 cooperation and synergy between the various stakeholders viz.      Simplify statutory procedures related to incorporation,   for third-party or self-certification. A competitive   needs.                                                                                     comprehensive reporting, refining case classification, and                                                                                      international peers to enable technology transfer, joint
 Competitiveness is not just a measure of economic success; it   all levels of government, private sector, academia, civil society   mergers, and CSR reporting. Sections 118(12), 129(7),   ecosystem of accredited third-party auditors should be                             enabling real-time ranking of state’s performance. Further,                                                                                     ventures, and capacity building.
 is a broader reflection of how effectively a nation converts its   and ordinary citizens.  186(13), and 222(2) of the Companies Act should be   promoted to reduce over-reliance on manual inspections.                                                                        create a parallel platform for ADR outcomes to inform
 resources – people, capital, institutions, infrastructure, into   decriminalized, and compliance norms such as EPFO and                                                                                                                                                        data-driven policy reforms.                                                                                                                     Support Export Competitiveness
           ESIC registration should be made voluntary where not     Streamline Environmental Regulations
           applicable to the company.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Formulate a National Judicial AI Policy                                                                                                          Establish an MSME Export Facilitation Portal, subsidize
                                                                   Consolidate fragmented environmental laws under a single                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     insurance for first-time exporters, and remove turnover
 Consultative Approach    Address Bottlenecks in NCLT/NCLAT Functioning  framework. Use AI-based audits and digital dashboards to                                                                                                                                              Policy should accelerate digital transformation through                                                                                         thresholds for public procurement eligibility.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                AI-assisted case sorting, mandatory e-filing, and real-time
 to Policy Making     Judicial delays can derail business operations. Steps must be   improve transparency and reduce approval timelines.                                                                                                                                       performance analytics across courts.
           taken to digitize case processing, fill staffing gaps, and     Implement IBC 2.0 Reforms
           implement hybrid hearing models for faster case resolution.
                                                                   Introduce pre-pack insolvency for large firms, set up
   Formation of High-Level Empowered Expert     Formation of GST like Councils or Empowered     Reform Related Party Transaction (RPT) Disclosures  dedicated benches, and enable cross-border resolution
 Committees for key reforms comprising experts   Committees for land, labour, power, agriculture,      SEBI’s RPT disclosure norms should be recalibrated.   mechanisms aligned with UNCITRAL Model Law. This will
 with high credibility. These empowered   urban, education, fiscal sustainability, subjects   Excessive disclosure requirements should be avoided to   improve investor confidence and asset recovery timelines.
 committees will bring expertise and effective   which lie in the state or the concurrent list, to   ease compliance while preserving governance standards.    Decriminalise technical business violations through Jan
 stakeholder consultation. The fact that the   ensure effective coordination between Central   Viswas 2.0
 recommendations emerge from expert-driven,   and State Governments in policy development                                                                                                                                                                                    India must continue to simplify its tax regime to improve
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             certainty, widen the tax base, and reduce litigation.
 consultative processes will enhance the legitimacy   and implementation. For example, the      A trust-based approach should be followed where
 of the proposals and help in building broader   Empowered Committee of State Finance   procedural lapses such as delayed filings, failure to produce                                                                                                                          Expand Presumptive Taxation
 consensus around reforms.  Ministers on Goods and Service Tax (GST) played   documents, or record maintenance issues should carry civil
 a key role in building consensus on GST.                          penalties, not criminal liability.                                                                                                                                                                           Extend simplified presumptive tax schemes to a wider
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                range of resident and non-resident sectors. Increase
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                turnover limits to align with MSME definitions.
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