India’s quest for becoming a manufacturing powerhouse has received a shot in the arm with the Government unleashing a new wave of business reforms to further strengthen the Make in India initiative. The Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2024 seeks to establish a seamless business regulatory framework across the country, enhancing the ease of doing business.
Spearheaded by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), BRAP 2024, the seventh edition of the action plan, introduces next-generation reforms that address the needs of both businesses and citizens. It aligns with key Government initiatives such as reducing compliance burden and decriminalisation, while also integrating elements from the World Bank’s upcoming B-Ready programme. This convergence will streamline regulatory processes, bolster economic growth, and foster greater investor confidence in India’s business landscape.
The reform package focuses on reducing approval time, integrating online service delivery, and leveraging initiatives like the National Single Window System and PM Gati Shakti with the aim of creating a more transparent, efficient, and dynamic regulatory environment.
 
The thrust of the action plan is on streamlining processes, reducing compliance burden, and implementing digital solutions to position India as a global investment hub. Originally focused on key sectors such as labour, environment, taxes, and land administration, BRAP has broadened its scope to include areas like ICT adoption and process reengineering through the Time and Document Study, ensuring quicker and more efficient Government-to-business service delivery. This expansion highlights citizen-centric reforms that emphasise transparency, providing businesses and citizens with clear information about procedures, fees, and timelines.
On the 10th anniversary of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, Modi highlighted the success of Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has spurred significant investment and job creation. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to reforms aimed at building an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. Accordingly, the reform package is expected to accelerate India’s industrial growth, with the country aiming for a 9 per cent economic growth rate.
This optimistic scenario is endorsed by the official Annual Survey of Industries which indicates that manufacturing growth is broad based and is driven by all sectors. The growth trajectory is robust, leading NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam to declare that “India can aim at 9 per cent plus growth.”
The manufacturing sector’s contribution to job growth has also been encouraging as the Survey data shows that the number of persons employed in manufacturing industry rose 7.5 per cent in 2022-23 to 1.85 crore from 1.72 crore in the previous year.
The estimated number of persons engaged in this sector in 2022-23 exceeded the pre-pandemic level (2018-19) by more than 22.14 lakh, an official statement said, adding that at the same time, average emolument also registered an increase over the previous year.
