SYLLABUS

GS-2: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation. 

GS-3: Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment. 

Context: Recently, the Government highlighted a decade of reforms aimed at improving India's Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) ecosystem through regulatory simplification, digital governance and trust-based administration. 

Key Performance Metrics

• India's rank in the World Bank's Doing Business Report improved from 142 (2014) to 63 (2019), while its IMD World Competitiveness Ranking improved from 43 (2021) to 41 (2025).

• India has been placed in Group A of the World Bank's GovTech Maturity Index in 2020, 2022 and 2025, reflecting strong digital governance capabilities.

• The reforms signify a shift from a compliance-heavy regulatory regime towards a facilitation-driven and trust-based governance framework.

• Reforms have targeted the entire business lifecycle, including business entry, land and permits, taxation, credit access, logistics, trade facilitation and insolvency resolution.

Major Reforms Undertaken to Promote EoDB

• Startup and Enterprise Ecosystem

• Under Startup India, recognised startups increased from 502 (2016) to over 2.23 lakh (2026), generating more than 23.3 lakh jobs.
• The SPICe+ platform and MCA21 Version 3 have simplified company incorporation through integrated registrations and technology-enabled compliance systems.
• The Udyam Registration Portal has facilitated paperless and self-declaration-based registration, significantly expanding MSME formalisation.

• Land and Property Reforms

• Under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), over 97% of cadastral maps have been digitised, and more than 36 crore land parcels have been assigned ULPIN.
• The National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) is streamlining property registration through the "One Nation, One Registration" approach. 

• Expanding Market Opportunities

• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has emerged as a major public procurement platform with cumulative transactions exceeding ₹18.4 lakh crore.
• Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is expanding digital market access for MSMEs, startups and small businesses across the country.

• Improving Logistics and Connectivity

• India's rank in the Logistics Performance Index improved from 54 (2014) to 38 (2023).
• Initiatives such as PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy and digital logistics platforms are improving multimodal connectivity and supply-chain efficiency.
• Trade facilitation measures such as ICEGATE, eCoO 2.0 and the Districts as Export Hubs initiative have strengthened export competitiveness.

• Improving Access to Finance

• Schemes such as CGTMSE, PM Mudra Yojana and technology-driven credit assessment models have expanded access to formal credit, particularly for MSMEs.
• Strengthening of TReDS is facilitating faster invoice financing and improving MSME liquidity.

• Tax and Digital Public Infrastructure Reforms

• GST replaced multiple indirect taxes and expanded the taxpayer base from around 60 lakh (2017) to over 1.64 crore (2026).
• Faceless assessments, digital tax administration and the e-Way Bill system have reduced compliance burdens.
• Digital Public Infrastructure initiatives such as UPI, cKYC Registry and EntityLocker have simplified payments, onboarding and business transactions.

• Trust-Based Governance and Regulatory Reforms

• The Jan Vishwas Acts (2023 & 2026) have decriminalised hundreds of minor offences and promoted proportionate regulation.
• More than 47,000 compliances have been reduced, simplified, digitised or eliminated across sectors.
• Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) and District BRAP are driving competitive federalism and improving the business environment at the state and district levels.
• Reforms in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) have strengthened time-bound insolvency resolution and creditor-driven restructuring.

Significance of India's EoDB Reforms

• Promoting Entrepreneurship and Formalisation: Simplified registration processes, digital platforms and easier credit access have encouraged business creation and formalisation of enterprises.

• Enhancing Investor Confidence: Faster approvals, transparent regulations and insolvency reforms have improved the predictability and attractiveness of India's business environment.

• Driving Digital-Led Governance: Adoption of digital public infrastructure and online service delivery has reduced transaction costs and improved efficiency.

• Strengthening Global Competitiveness: Reforms in logistics, trade facilitation and market access have improved India's position as a preferred investment and manufacturing destination.

• Transitioning to Trust-Based Governance: Compliance reduction, decriminalisation and technology-enabled regulation have shifted governance from control-based oversight to facilitation-oriented administration.