In the latest Doing Business Report (DBR), 2020 released by the World Bank on 24^th October, 2019, India stands at 63^rd position out of 190 countries. Since 2014, India’s rank has gone up from 142 to 63 in 2019.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) started a comprehensive reform exercise, State Reform Action Plan, in States and Union Territories (UTs) in December, 2014.

The State Reforms Action Plan prepared by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) requires States and UTs to have a Single Window System across various Departments with the following features:

i.     Allow online submission of application without the need to submit physical copies of the application.

ii.    Eliminate physical touch-point for document submission and verification.

iii.   Allow applicant to track status of application online.

iv.   Ensure the applicant receives an SMS/e-mail notification as and when the application is submitted and/or query israised and/or application is approved/rejected.

v.    Mandate that all queries/clarifications related to investors' application are sought in one go and within 7 days ofreceipt of the application. 

Under the assessment exercise of States/UTs for the year 2017-18, 21 States/UTs have designed and implemented online Single Window System. Further, the States Reform Action Plan, 2019 requires States and UTs to develop an online Information Wizard equipped with a feature to provide links to online application forms for licenses/ NOCs required by users and their relevant notifications. Under the reform area Construction Permits Enablers, States and UTs are required to mandate timelines for grant of construction permits/NOCs and to provide these services the online single window system.

This information was given by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Single Window System reforms require online submissions, status tracking, automated notifications and time bound query resolution. The State Reform Action Plan requires States and UTs to implement a Single Window System enabling online application submission without physical copies, elimination of physical document touch-points, online status tracking, automated SMS/e-mail notifications, consolidated queries to applicants and a seven-day deadline to issue investor-related queries; the 2019 Plan also mandates an online Information Wizard linking to licence/NOC application forms and time-bound processing for construction permits/NOCs within the Single Window platform.