CII unveils blueprint for reforms across 14 critical areas to push growth

New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Sunday unveiled its flagship policy blueprint 'Policies for a Competitive India', which the country’s apex business chamber sees as a comprehensive reform roadmap to accelerate India’s transformation into a globally competitive economy.

The report presents over 250 actionable recommendations across 14 critical reform areas.

Developed through wide-ranging consultations with industry leaders, economists, and policy experts, the blueprint is aligned with the government’s Viksit Bharat vision. Its release comes at a pivotal time, as the Prime Minister has called for bold, second-generation reforms to unlock India’s full potential, according to the CII statement.

CII president Rajiv Memani said, “This publication is a contribution to the broader national reform agenda. It presents actionable priorities across 14 domains, ranging from fiscal policy and public sector reform to taxation, trade, energy, and employment. These recommendations are closely aligned with the government’s reform trajectory and are in support of the Prime Minister’s call for bold and transformative change.”

“As a live document, Policies for a Competitive India will continue to evolve, bringing fresh ideas to support policymakers. CII remains fully committed to working alongside the government to accelerate India’s march towards Viksit Bharat and strengthen the country’s position as a global growth leader and would keep the engagement with the government ongoing with a steady stream of reform ideas,” he added.

Sanjiv Bajaj, past president, CII and Chairman, Task Force on Reciprocal Tariffs, said, “The government has instituted many path-breaking reforms over the last decade, laying strong foundations for growth and resilience. As India moves rapidly towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, it must now add greater pace and depth to this reform agenda to be globally competitive. With Free Trade Agreements opening new opportunities and India’s economic engagements expanding worldwide, the Indian industry must be prepared to compete with the best. CII has sought to present a reform blueprint that is both pragmatic and ambitious, aimed at helping India seize the opportunities of the Amrit Kaal, both domestic and global.”

Over the last decade, India has witnessed historic reforms, including the Goods and Services Tax (GST), corporate tax rationalisation, digitisation of governance, and progressive trade agreements. These have strengthened macroeconomic stability and positioned India as a trusted global partner. However, rising geopolitical shifts and the twin transitions -- green and digital -- demand that India further deepens reforms to sustain high growth and global competitiveness, according to the CII statement.

CII’s reform agenda has 14 areas ranging from fiscal policy and ease of doing business to labour market reforms, trade policy and judicial reforms to expedite the resolution of disputes.

CII has also come out in favour of the privatisation of non-strategic public sector enterprises, the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund, and stronger governance.

As part of the trade policy reforms, CII has suggested a rationalised tariff structure, enhanced FTA utilisation, stronger investment provisions, and a dedicated e-commerce export strategy.

In the case of manufacturing, the reforms refer to addressing the 'missing middle' through capital support, industrial corridors, and freight connectivity. Besides, for MSMEs, they mention phased compliance, stronger Udyam portal integration, technology collaboration, and a second-tier patent system.

--IANS

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