23 Lakh Startups, 1.64 Crore GST Taxpayers: Digital India Reshaping Business Landscape

Ziraat Times Team Report

New Delhi, June 7: The Government of India on Saturday highlighted a series of wide-ranging reforms that have transformed the country’s business environment through digital governance, regulatory simplification, compliance reduction, and trust-based administration, contributing to stronger investor confidence and improved global competitiveness.

According to an official statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), India’s business ecosystem has undergone a significant shift from a compliance-heavy framework to a facilitation-driven model aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and ease of doing business.

The government noted that India’s ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report improved from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019, while the country’s position in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking improved from 43rd in 2021 to 41st in 2025. India has also consistently been placed in the highest category of the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index and has achieved high scores in the United Nations E-Government Survey.

Startup Ecosystem Witnesses Massive Growth

The government said the Startup India initiative has played a major role in promoting entrepreneurship and job creation. Recognised startups increased from just 502 in 2016 to more than 2.23 lakh by March 2026, generating over 23.3 lakh direct jobs. Nearly 48 per cent of these startups have at least one woman director or partner.

Business registration has also been simplified through initiatives such as the SPICe+ integrated incorporation form, MCA21 Version 3 platform, and the Udyam Registration Portal for MSMEs, enabling paperless and technology-driven registration processes.

Land and Property Registration Digitised

The statement highlighted substantial progress under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), with 97.37 per cent of cadastral maps digitised nationwide.

The government said more than 36 crore land parcels across 29 states and Union Territories have been assigned a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN), often referred to as the “Aadhaar for Land.”

The National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS), now operational in 17 states and UTs, has also streamlined property registration and enabled automatic mutation of land records in most integrated districts.

Permit Approvals Become Faster

Several reforms have been introduced to reduce delays in obtaining business permits and licences.

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code has replaced multiple labour laws with a unified framework, introducing single registrations, single returns, all-India licences, and deemed approvals.

Environmental approvals have also been streamlined through the PARIVESH portal, with the average environmental clearance timeline reduced to 64 days in 2025-26 from the prescribed 105 days.

Meanwhile, the National Single Window System (NSWS), launched in 2021, has provided access to thousands of central and state-level approvals and granted more than 8.29 lakh approvals so far.

Digital Platforms Expand Market Access

The government said initiatives such as the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), PM GatiShakti, National Logistics Portal (Marine), and Logistics Data Bank 2.0 have significantly improved market connectivity and logistics efficiency.

GeM has recorded a cumulative transaction value of ₹18.4 lakh crore and facilitated procurement from startups, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and artisans. ONDC now connects more than 7.64 lakh sellers and service providers across over 616 cities.

India’s logistics ranking improved from 54th in 2014 to 38th in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index in 2023.

Easier Access to Credit for MSMEs

The government said credit access has been strengthened through schemes such as the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), and the digital Credit Assessment Model (CAM).

Since its launch in 2015, PM Mudra Yojana has disbursed loans worth over ₹40 lakh crore through more than 57 crore accounts, with a significant share going to women, first-time entrepreneurs, and socially disadvantaged groups.

GST, Digital Tax Systems Reduce Compliance Burden

The statement said the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017 replaced multiple indirect taxes with a unified system, simplifying tax compliance and improving interstate trade.

The number of GST-registered taxpayers has increased from around 60 lakh in 2017 to more than 1.64 crore by April 2026.

The government also cited faceless assessments, the new income tax e-filing portal, and the e-Way Bill system as major reforms that have reduced paperwork and improved efficiency.

Export Facilitation Measures Expanded

To strengthen cross-border trade, the government has implemented initiatives such as Districts as Export Hubs, the Export Promotion Mission, ICEGATE, the e-Certificate of Origin (eCoO) system, and the Trade Connect e-platform.

The Districts as Export Hubs initiative has already prepared export action plans for 590 districts, while the Trade Connect platform has more than 20 lakh registered users.

Digital Public Infrastructure Drives Growth

The government credited India’s Digital Public Infrastructure for enabling seamless business operations.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI), now recognised by the International Monetary Fund as the world’s largest real-time payment system by transaction volume, processed over 24,000 crore transactions worth approximately ₹314 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.

Other initiatives such as the Central KYC Registry and EntityLocker have further simplified verification and digital document management for businesses.

Compliance Burden Reduced Through Jan Vishwas Reforms

The government said the Jan Vishwas Acts of 2023 and 2026 have decriminalised hundreds of provisions across multiple laws, reducing criminal liability for minor and technical violations.

More than 47,000 compliances have been reduced, digitised, simplified, or removed as part of a nationwide compliance reduction exercise.

The Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) and District Business Reform Action Plan (D-BRAP) are also being implemented to strengthen ease of doing business at state and district levels.

Insolvency Framework Strengthened

The government said amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), including the 2026 amendment, have improved procedural efficiency, introduced stricter timelines, enhanced creditor participation, and made insolvency resolution more predictable.

India Emerging as Competitive Business Destination

The government said the cumulative impact of reforms in business registration, taxation, land administration, logistics, trade facilitation, digital infrastructure, compliance reduction, and insolvency resolution has strengthened India’s position as a globally competitive investment destination.

According to the statement, India’s Ease of Doing Business framework now reflects the combined strength of digital governance, policy reforms, and trust-based regulation aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and long-term economic growth.