MC-Deloitte CEO Survey: 91% CEOs demand simpler tax regimes and compliances

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In the run-up to the Union budget 2025, CEOs are demanding simpler tax regimes and compliances to enhance ease of doing business in India, according to an exclusive Moneycontrol-Deloitte survey of 45 CEOs and CXOs across financial services, consumer goods, technology, and energy sectors.

The survey showed that nearly 91 percent of the respondents want simpler tax regimes and compliances to make India and attractive investment destination. About 60 percent said digitisation efforts need to be enhanced and that the government must implement an online single window system for clearances, while integrating business procedures.

Almost a similar number of CEOs (57 percent) said easy compliance process for trade and investment across borders would be a significant measure, while 40 percent sought improvement in land and labour laws. At least 38 percent of the respondents felt reskilling and upskilling talent and reducing skill gaps to improve job prospects was necessary, while 33 percent urged fast disposal of commercial disputes. Only seven percent of the CEOs felt the need for effective framework and process for insolvency.

Ahead of the upcoming Budget, industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also has suggested a 10-point agenda to drive ease of doing business reforms, aimed at reducing compliance burden, simplifying regulatory frameworks, and improving transparency.

Among the “urgent policy interventions”, the industry body recommended that all regulatory approvals — central, state and local levels — must mandatorily be provided only through the National Single Window System.

However, India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant believes that states, rather than the Indian government, need to push on promoting ease of doing business to reach the $30 trillion economy target. “More than the government of India, the real action is now in the states, states should push,” Kant told Moneycontrol on the sidelines of the We Made in India Conference in Mumbai on April 18.