The Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2024, led by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), marks a major step in strengthening Make in India and building a seamless business regulatory framework across India. As reflected in the given inputs, BRAP 2024 seeks to improve the ease of doing business, reduce the compliance burden, deepen digital governance, and enhance investor confidence through a more transparent, efficient, and citizen-centric regulatory architecture.
The significance of BRAP 2024 lies in the fact that it represents the next generation of sub-national reform assessment in India. Unlike earlier reform efforts that focused primarily on formal compliance, BRAP 2024 introduces a more dynamic assessment structure by combining evidence-based verification with ground-level user feedback. This shift is important because it attempts to ensure that reforms are not merely notified on paper but are actually experienced by businesses in practice.
A major feature of BRAP 2024 is its alignment with wider policy initiatives such as Reducing Compliance Burden (RCB), decriminalisation of business laws, and the emerging World Bank B-READY framework. This convergence indicates that India’s reform agenda is moving beyond isolated state-level compliance exercises toward a more integrated model of governance that links ease of doing business, ease of living, and regulatory quality. The inclusion of elements from the World Bank’s upcoming B-READY programme also suggests an attempt to prepare India’s business climate for international benchmarking under a new global assessment architecture.
Another important aspect is the broadening of the reform scope. BRAP 2024 no longer remains confined to narrow industrial licensing or approval issues. As per the input, it covers critical domains such as Labour, Environment, Taxes, Land Administration, Utility Permits, Inspection, and Construction, while also incorporating newer dimensions such as ICT adoption and process reengineering through the Time and Document Study (TDS). This expansion is significant because it reflects a more holistic understanding of the business environment, where delays and frictions often arise from multiple regulatory interfaces rather than a single approval bottleneck.
The framework also places strong emphasis on digital integration and time-bound service delivery. Initiatives such as the National Single Window System (NSWS), PM Gati Shakti, digitised approvals, online service delivery, land-bank integration, GIS-based industrial information systems, and investor dashboards show that the reform strategy is increasingly technology-driven. This matters because digital systems help reduce physical interface, increase transparency, lower transaction costs, and improve predictability for businesses.The citizen-centric dimension of BRAP is equally notable. The input clearly states that transparent service delivery, access to information regarding procedures, fees, and timelines, and responsiveness in governance are central to the reform philosophy. Thus, BRAP 2024 is not merely a business facilitation tool; it also reflects a governance model in which administrative efficiency is expected to benefit both enterprises and citizens.
The scale of the BRAP 2024 assessment itself is noteworthy. It covered 434 reform points across central and state domains and was supported by a very large national feedback exercise. According to the input, 5,83,365 businesses were contacted and 1,33,776 interviews were completed across 34 States and UTs, including 11,201 face-to-face responses, 1,15,128 telephonic interactions, 7,447 SMS and email-based responses, and 30 Focus Group Discussions. Such a large feedback exercise strengthens the credibility of the assessment by incorporating actual user experience into reform scoring.
The scoring framework under BRAP 2024 also deserves attention. The assessment gave 70 percent weightage to user feedback and 30 percent to evidence. This weighting is important because it privileges implementation outcomes over mere documentary submission. Likewise, the provisions relating to NA1 and NA2 demonstrate a structured methodology: eliminated regulations were awarded full marks under NA1, while non-applicable reform points under NA2 were excluded from scoring. This reflects an attempt to create a more realistic and implementation-sensitive evaluation model.
The broader context of ease of doing business reforms is also visible in the February 2026 PIB input. It notes that India improved by 79 ranks in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report, reaching 63rd position in the latest ranking published in 2019. Although the Doing Business Report was discontinued in 2020, the launch of the World Bank B-READY Assessment in 2024 and India’s inclusion in the third B-READY report scheduled for 2026 indicate that global benchmarking of business regulation remains relevant. In that context, BRAP serves as India’s key domestic instrument for preparing states and regulatory systems for globally comparable reform standards.The reform effort is reinforced by the Reducing Compliance Burden (RCB) initiative. As per the given input, over 47,000 compliances were reduced in the last five years. These included 16,109 compliances simplified, 22,287 digitized, 4,623 decriminalized, and 4,270 eliminated. Further, under RCB+, 4,846 compliances were reduced out of 6,262 identified compliances across 23 Acts commonly implemented by States and UTs. This shows that the reform agenda is not only about faster approvals but also about deep restructuring of the regulatory ecosystem.
Similarly, the legislative dimension of reform is visible in the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which decriminalized 183 provisions under 42 Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments. The subsequent Jan Vishwas (Amendments of Provisions) Bill, 2025, as mentioned in the input, proposes amendment of 355 provisions, including 288 provisions for decriminalization to foster ease of doing business and 67 provisions to facilitate ease of living. This signals an institutional shift from criminal enforcement toward trust-based regulatory governance for minor business defaults.
The Udyog Samagam 2025 input adds another practical dimension to the discussion by highlighting the role of Centre–State collaboration. The felicitation of States and UTs across 25 reform areas under BRAP 2024 indicates that the reform process is not uniform across India but evolves through competitive and cooperative federalism. The recognition of States across reform areas such as Business Entry, Construction Permits, Labour Regulation Enablers, Land Administration, Environment Registration, Utility Permits, Services Sector, and Sector-Specific Services underscores the wide administrative depth of the exercise.The classification of States and UTs under BRAP 2024 also provides insight into India’s evolving reform geography. Under Category Y in the broader EODB category including RCB, the Fast Movers were Odisha, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Karnataka, while Bihar was placed among the Aspirers. Under Category X, all listed States/UTs were placed as Aspirers. In the parallel BRAP excluding RCB framework, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab were listed as Achievers, while Madhya Pradesh was among the Fast Movers. These classifications are important from an exam perspective because they show that BRAP 2024 is not merely a single ranking table but a layered reform categorisation exercise.
The historical trajectory of BRAP since inception also reveals its evolution. Starting from 2014, seven editions have been undertaken: 2015, 2016, 2017-18, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024. Over 9,700 reforms have reportedly been carried out across States and UTs. This long reform journey demonstrates that India’s ease of doing business agenda has moved from a phase of identifying procedural bottlenecks to one of institutional restructuring, digital integration, and user-based validation.Overall, BRAP 2024 can be seen as an important instrument in India’s attempt to build an investment-friendly, digitally enabled, and federally coordinated regulatory ecosystem. Its importance lies not only in improving rankings or attracting investments, but also in fostering a more transparent and accountable governance framework where reform performance is increasingly judged by actual service delivery and user experience.
| Aspect | Details from Input |
|---|---|
| Nodal Department | DPIIT |
| Broader Objective | Strengthen Make in India and create a seamless business regulatory framework |
| Reform Coverage | 434 reform points across central and state domains |
| Major Areas | Business Entry, Labour, Environment, Taxes, Land Administration, Utility Permits, Inspection, Construction, Services Sector, Sector-Specific Services |
| Methodology | Evidence + feedback-based assessment |
| Score Weightage | 70% user feedback, 30% evidence |
| Feedback Exercise | 5,83,365 businesses contacted; 1,33,776 interviews completed |
| Digital Enablers | NSWS, PM Gati Shakti, online service delivery, GIS, land banks, investor dashboards |
| Related Initiatives | RCB, RCB+, Decriminalisation, Jan Vishwas reforms, B-READY alignment |
| Framework | Category | Status | States/UTs Mentioned in Input |
|---|---|---|---|
| EODB Categories (BRAP including RCB) | Y | Fast Movers | Odisha, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka |
| EODB Categories (BRAP including RCB) | Y | Aspirers | West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Telangana, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Bihar, Delhi |
| EODB Categories (BRAP excluding RCB) | Y | Achievers | Andhra Pradesh, Punjab |
| EODB Categories (BRAP excluding RCB) | Y | Fast Movers | Rajasthan, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Gujarat |
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
Established: Mentioned in input only as the nodal department leading BRAP; year of establishment not provided in the given input.
Headquarters:
Present Head:
Functions as per input:
DPIIT is the nodal department for the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) and related Ease of Doing Business reforms. It leads initiatives aimed at streamlining regulations, reducing compliance burdens, implementing digital solutions, supporting single window clearances, and promoting an investment-friendly ecosystem.
Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP)
Launched:2014-15 / 2014
Nature: A reform assessment framework for States and Union Territories.
Function: To improve the business environment through reforms relating to regulatory simplification, digital service delivery, time-bound approvals, single window systems, inspection reforms, land and utility access, and broader ease of doing business.
World Bank B-READY Assessment
Launched:2024
Purpose as per input: To assess 180+ countries over three years across 10 topics spanning the business lifecycle, including Business Entry, Business Location, Utility Services, Labor, Financial Services, International Trade, Taxation, Dispute Resolution, Market Competition, and Business Insolvency.
Reducing Compliance Burden (RCB) Initiative
Launched:2020
Purpose as per input: To identify and reduce burdensome compliances for businesses and citizens through simplification, digitisation, decriminalisation, and elimination of redundant requirements.
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023
Passed: Lok Sabha on 27 July 2023, Rajya Sabha on 02 August 2023
President’s Assent:11 August 2023
Function as per input: Decriminalises 183 provisions under 42 Acts administered by 19 Ministries/Departments.
Jan Vishwas (Amendments of Provisions) Bill, 2025
Union Cabinet Approval:12 August 2025
Laid before Lok Sabha:18 August 2025
Status as per input: Under examination by the Select Committee chaired by Shri Tejasvi Surya.
Updated - 30 September 2024 ; 01:02 PM] | News Source PIB
Updated - 11 November 2025 ; 09:06 PM | News Source PIB
Updated - 10 February 2026 ; 04:07 PM | News Source PIB