Ease of Doing Business

October 13, 2026 2:30 PM

Next-Generation GST reforms reflect India’s push for simpler taxation and Ease of Doing Business

India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) journey has entered another phase of reform with a renewed emphasis on simplifying compliance, reducing procedural hurdles and creating a more predictable environment for businesses. The recommendations of the 57th GST Council meeting, held in October 2026, build on the tax system introduced in July 2017 and reflect the continuing policy focus on making governance more transparent, efficient and taxpayer-friendly. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lea...

October 8, 2026 7:20 PM

GST Council removes arrest powers of tax officers, eases compliance rules for businesses

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Thursday approved a series of taxpayer-friendly reforms, including the removal of arrest powers from tax officers and a significant increase in the prosecution threshold to Rs 5 crore from the existing Rs 1 crore. The decisions were taken at the 57th meeting of the GST Council chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital on Thursday. Addressing reporters after the meeting, FM Sitharaman said the Council focused on proc...

October 8, 2026 3:33 PM

Andhra CM invites investments; says state focusing on speed of doing biz

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in the state, saying the government is now focusing on improving the "speed of doing business". Addressing the curtain-raiser event of CII's Partnership Summit, he said huge investments are coming into the state in different sectors like technology, green energy and petrochemicals. The summit is being organised on November 12-13 in Visakhapatnam. The chief minister also said the stat...

September 3, 2026 2:49 PM

Ease of doing business: Goa assembly passes bill revising stamp vendor rules, women’s work timings

The Goa assembly has passed a bill seeking to replace jail terms for non-fraudulent violations by stamp vendors with fines of up to Rs 10,000, granting freehold rights over industrial plots and revising work timings for women. The bill, aimed at easing regulatory compliance for businesses, also introduces automated digital appeals for delayed public services and seeks to streamline regulatory procedures and facilitate investment-led growth in the coastal state. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on ...

September 2, 2026 6:03 PM

Piyush Goyal chairs data centre CEO roundtable, highlights $200 billion investment potential in India

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday chaired a CEO roundtable on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) for scaling India’s data centre ecosystem, highlighting the sector’s potential to attract investments of around USD 200 billion. Addressing the stakeholders at Vanijya Bhawan, Goyal said India is the “world’s best location” for setting up data centres and emphasised the need to further improve the business environment to accelerate the sector’s expansion. The Min...

August 24, 2026 12:12 PM

Health Ministry proposes medical device rule changes to ease compliance, speed up market access

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has proposed amendments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, aimed at simplifying regulatory requirements, improving transparency and facilitating faster market access for eligible medical devices. The proposed reforms cover three key areas - outsourced sterilisation of medical devices, standardisation of testing fees and recognition of the European Union as a stringent regulatory jurisdiction for waiving clinical investigation requirements...

August 15, 2026 12:58 PM

Govt removes 12-minute ad cap for TV channels to promote fair competition and ease of doing business

The Government has decided to remove the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels, a move aimed at promoting fair competition in the broadcasting sector and improving ease of doing business. The cap was introduced in 2006 under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, when India’s television broadcasting landscape was significantly smaller and less competitive. At that time, the country had only 62 television channels, compared with more than 900 channels currently. The...

July 23, 2026 9:21 AM

India’s Digital Governance Revolution: Redefining Ease of Doing Business

For decades, India's business ecosystem was often associated with cumbersome paperwork, multiple regulatory approvals and bureaucratic delays. Investors and entrepreneurs frequently found themselves navigating a maze of government departments before commencing operations. Over the last decade, however, India has undertaken one of the world's most ambitious digital governance transformations, fundamentally reshaping the country's ease of doing business landscape. Now, we have compelling evidence ...

June 29, 2026 12:57 PM

Centre introduces Improvement Notice mechanism under Legal Metrology Act to boost ease of doing business

The Department of Consumer Affairs has introduced a significant reform under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 by bringing in an Improvement Notice mechanism, allowing businesses to rectify specified first-time procedural and regulatory lapses before facing penal action. The move, introduced through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, is aimed at promoting ease of doing business, encouraging voluntary compliance and reducing unnecessary litigation, while maintaining robust consumer ...

June 4, 2026 1:47 PM

India emerging as trusted global investment destination, says Piyush Goyal at Citi India Conference 2026

India has emerged as one of the world's most trusted investment destinations and is poised to remain the fastest-growing major economy for decades, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said while addressing the Citi India Conference 2026 on Thursday. Delivering the keynote address virtually, Goyal highlighted India's economic resilience, expanding manufacturing base, infrastructure development and growing network of trade agreements as key drivers of investor confidence. He said hi...