Ease of doing biz: DIPP initiates vast survey in states

The Commerce and Industry Ministry has initiated an extensive survey on 'ease of doing business' in states with an objective to improving the business climate of the country.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has circulated a set of 285 questions to all the states in this regard. The key objectives of the survey are to assess the implementation of various factors enabling ease of doing business in a state and to do a comparative study of states with regards to the implementation status.

"In order to enhance the ease of doing business in various states, the DIPP has initiated a study to assess states on reform parameters that are germane to ease of doing business," it said.

It added that the DIPP has also circulated a document with recommendations for states on aspects critical to enabling ease of doing business. The document highlights good practices in various areas that need to be institutionalised by states to improve their investment eco-system.

"A study is now being carried out to assess the implementation of the recommendations by the states," it said. The state governments have to submit by June 20 final responses to the questionnaire.

Responses have been sought on any centralised help-line number to facilitate queries regarding the application and approval process and any 'change of land use' provided as a service through the single window system.

The questionnaire also include queries on land banks available for industrial use, digitised land records at local municipality office and provision for e-filing for commercial disputes at district courts, among others.

India is currently ranked 142nd among 189 nations in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business 2015 study. With the exception of two parameters (getting credit and protecting minority investors), India does not feature in the top 100 in the remaining parameters.

In 'dealing with construction permits' and 'enforcing contracts' parameters, India ranks among the bottom 10 economies as per the ranking. The DIPP said that India's overall ranking and the individual rankings in various parameters clearly show that India is in urgent need of reforms to unlock the huge economic potential of the nation.

However, the reforms need to be initiated at various levels across centre, state and local governments, the DIPP's assessment framework for state level reforms enabling ease of doing business 2015 said.

The efforts aims at bringing India into the top 50 ranks in the ease of doing business.