Digital Blueprint for Ease of Doing Business

Mains: GS-III – Economy

Why in News?

India has reshaped its economy by making digital transformation a key driver of growth; introduced wide-ranging reforms to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).

What are the measures for Business Registration & Regulatory Framework?

MCA21 – It is an AI-driven platform used for end-to-end registry & incorporation of Companies & LLPs since 2006 to enhances transparency and Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).
MCA21 Version 3 Features – Like e-Scrutiny, e-adjudication and e-consultation, Compliance Management System and MCA Lab.
Application Programming Interface (API) – It acts as a bridge that enables tasks like searching, retrieving, submitting, updating, or triggering actions.
Usage – 3.84 crore filings (2021–2025).
ISO 27001 – International framework for managing information security risks; shows robust data protection practices.
Udyam Registration Portal – It offers a free, paperless, and self-declaration-based system for MSMEs & integrating with CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) and GSTN (GST Network) databases.
Impact (12 Feb 2026) – 7.71 crore registrations & 33.97 crore jobs supported.
Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) & District Reforms – Designed to compare regulatory requirements across States and encourage them to reduce compliance burdens and create a more business-friendly environment.
Started in – 2015, promotes transparency, simplify regulatory procedures, and enhance service delivery.
Till date, 7 editions of BRAP have been completed, and the eighth edition, BRAP 2026, was formally rolled out on 11 November 2025.
Progress – 7^th editions completed & 8^th edition (BRAP 2026) launched on 11 Nov 2025.
District BRAP – Launched to strengthen EoDB at the District Level.
Achievements of States
- Kerala – Aspirer (2022), Fast Mover (2024)
- Uttar Pradesh – Aspirer (2022 & 2024)
- Tamil Nadu – Aspirer (2022 & 2024)
SPICe+ Form – It is an integrated web form which saves many procedures, time and cost for starting a business in India.
Offers 11 services by 3 Central Govt Ministries & Departments and 3 State Governments (Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal) and NCT – Delhi.
It has consolidated 10 essential procedures – including incorporation; DIN Allotment; issue of PAN, TAN, ESIC Registration, EPFO Registration; etc.

What are the measures for Integrated Clearance & Environmental Approvals?

National Single Window System (NSWS) – A digital platform which guides in identifying and applying for approvals according to the business requirements.
Benefits – Streamlined approvals, reduced timelines, secure document repository, fast query management.
Integration – Covers 32 Central Departments + 32 State Govts → access to 698 central & 7,435 state approvals.
PARIVESH 3.0 – Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous, and Environmental Single Window Hub
Purpose – For environmental clearances and post-approval compliance monitoring.
Integration – Baseline data, afforestation land banks, inter ministerial dashboards, AI enabled support, enhances transparency, predictability, efficiency.
e-Gram SWARAJ portal – It provides a single window with the complete Gram Panchayat Profile (Sarpanch/Secretary, demography, finances, other assets, etc).
It serve as a unified reporting and tracking platform, strengthens decentralised planning & improves fund utilisation.

What are the measures related to Taxation, Customs & Trade Facilitation?

GST Network (GSTN) – Provides a synchronised interface for over a crore of taxpayers, ensuring effortless B2B electronic invoicing which fosters a transparent and efficient fiscal framework..
Processing of over Rs.102.91 lakh crore payments (as of January 2026).
E-Way Bill – It replaces multiple state-level permits with a single, electronic document for the movement of goods.
It has facilitated the removal of static border check posts to reduce transport time and improved tax compliance.
Growth – 21% year-on-year increase during April- December 2025.
ICEGATE (Indian Customs Electronic Gateway) – It serves as a centralized hub for all electronic interactions between Indian customs and the trading community.
Services – Offers a range of services including e-filing, online amendment submission, online duty payment, query resolution, and IGST refunds.
Benefit – Enhances the ease of doing business by streamlining customs procedures and promoting transparency in cross-border trade.
eCoO (Enhanced Certificate of Origin) 2.0 – It is a digital upgrade by simplifying the certification process for exporters.
Features used – Multi-user access under a single IEC, Aadhaar-based e-signing, and dashboard for FTA.
Benefit – Flexible, transparent online applications for Certificates of Origin.
TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System) – It is an electronic platform that facilitates financing / discounting of trade receivables of MSMEs through multiple financiers.
These receivables can be due from corporates and other buyers, including Government Departments and PSUs.
Trade Connect e-Platform – It provides comprehensive international trade information and services to all exporters, including MSMEs.
Features – It enables directs connections between global buyers via missions abroad, single govt engagement channel, digital learning & trade intelligence.
Impact (12 Feb 2026) – Currently, it has over 19.25 lakhs registered users with more than 28 lakhs certificate of origin issued.

What are the key measures for Logistics & Market Access?

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan – Launched in October 2021, for integrated infrastructure planning and multimodal connectivity.
Unified platform – 57 Central Ministries + all States/UTs, with 1,700+ data layers.
Adoption – 27 States notified logistics policies; 28 Aspirational Districts using District Master Plan Module (to expand to all 112).
Impact (Feb 2026) – NPG evaluated 352 projects worth Rs.16.10 lakh crore; 201 sanctioned, 167 under implementation.
Benefits – Reduces delays, avoids duplication, strengthens freight movement, improves EoDB.
National Logistics Portal (Marine) – It is a maritime single-window platform for exporters, importers, service providers.
Features – Aligns with global standards, integrating G2G, G2B, and B2B models, real-time tracking of vessel terminal gate, and container freight station (CFS) gate transactions.
Logistics Data Bank (LDB 2.0) – This platform provides real time tracking & multimodal visibility (road, rail, sea) through integration with Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) APIs.
Features – Introduces high-seas container tracking, live container heatmap to identify bottlenecks, to fosters a transparent, data-driven ecosystem that reduces costs and improves supply chain management.
GeM (Government e-Marketplace) – A digital procurement system connecting sellers and service providers across the country, including women entrepreneurs, startups, micro and small enterprises (MSEs), artisans, self-help groups (SHGs) and Divyangjans.
ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) – It aimed at promoting open digital networks for goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
It envisions creating a level playing field for sellers, buyers, and service providers across India, particularly small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The sellers and service providers are spread across 616+ cities expanding the geographical coverage of the ONDC network.

What are the key initiatives in Digital Public Infrastructure to improve ease of doing business?

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) – It enables secure, co-ordinated interactions between people, businesses and governments.
It reduces operational friction and enhances the Ease of Doing Business through instant, secure, and transparent digital interactions.
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) – It is a real-time payment system that enables instant money transfers between bank accounts through a mobile application.
It brings multiple bank accounts into a single app and supports various features such as fund transfers, merchant payments, and peer-peer payment requests and provides QR code convenience.
Scale – It connects 691 banks on a single platform allowing people to make payments easily.
In January 2026 alone it handled 21.70 billion transaction
Impact (Jan 2026) – 21.70 billion transactions amounting to Rs. 28.33 lakh crore.

UPI growth

International Recognition of UPI
IMF (June 2025) – Recognized UPI as world’s largest retail fast‑payment system (FPS).
ACI Worldwide (2024) – 49% share of global real‑time transactions volume.
It surpassed Visa in daily transactions.
Live in 8 countries (UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius, Qatar) positioning India as a global leader in digital payments.
cKYC (Central Know Your Customer) Registry – It is a centralized repository of KYC records of customers in the financial sector with uniform KYC norms and inter-usability of the KYC records across the sector.
Objective – Reduce repeated submission & verification of KYC documents when creating new financial relationships.
Entity Locker – It is a secure, cloud-based platform for storing, sharing, and verifying digital documents and certificates.
This platform ensures safe, efficient, and streamlined document management for businesses and institutions.
API Setu – It is a unified digital platform for discovering, accessing, and integrating APIs.
Users – Govt departments, private organizations, startups, developers to discover, access, and integrate APIs with ease.
It enables swift, transparent, safe and reliable information sharing across applications and promote innovation.

What lies ahead?

India’s digital reforms have fundamentally transformed the business environment, making approvals, registration, and trade processes seamless and efficient.
Robust digital infrastructure is fostering innovation, reducing costs, and enabling smooth interactions between businesses, citizens, and government.
These initiatives collectively position India as a secure, efficient, and highly attractive destination for enterprise setup and growth.

Reference

PIB | The Digital Blueprint for Ease of Doing Business