Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) refers to creating a regulatory and administrative environment in which businesses can start, operate, expand and exit with minimum unnecessary procedural burden.
Key highlights of the Report
- Improved global position: India's Doing Business ranking (World Bank Group's Ease of Doing Business index) improved from 142nd in 2015 to 63rd in 2020 among 190 economies.
- Improved competitiveness: India improved by 6 positions to 37th in 2022 in the Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Index, among 63 economies.
- Relaxed onboarding regimes: Recognized startups grew from a mere 502 in 2016 to over 2.23 lakh by early 2026, directly creating 23.3 lakh formal jobs.
- District-level approach: The Districts as Export Hubs initiative extends regulatory simplification and supply-chain infrastructure to districts.
Issues that still persists | Recommendations |
Regulatory fragmentation: Overlapping laws, licences and compliances raise costs. | Merge licences, introduce One Licence–One Renewal and adopt risk-based regulation. |
Weak State/local EoD | Expand District Business Reform Action Plan (D-BRAP) and integrate approvals with National Single Window System (NSWS). |
Approval delays: Licences, No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and renewals | Ensure time-bound approvals, deemed approval and automatic renewal. |
Uneven State implementation: Reforms may not improve realities. | Make Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) outcome-based with Ground Reality Verification, third-party audits. |
MSME credit constraints: Collateral and documentation restrict working capital. | Expand Udyam, credit guarantees, collateral-free and cash-flow-based lending. |
Export & customs bottlenecks: Fragmented procedures and slow clearance | Digitize trade and upgrade Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE) to Artificial Intelligence-driven clearance. |
