The country in the past eleven years has undergone a major shift in the way government systems function and their interaction with the citizens and businesses. This transformation has been spearheaded by a sustained push by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government for process reforms. These reforms, which are mostly technology-driven interventions, have simplified procedures, reduced delays, eliminated redundancies, and enabled effective service delivery. Under the leadership of PM Modi, these reforms have redefined India’s governance itself. Beyond structural overhauls, these reforms have introduced accountability, efficiency, and transparency in the conduct of everyday government operations. These nuts-and-bolts reforms, by reimaging governance, have delivered real benefits to businesses, entrepreneurs, and citizens.
Redefining Public Procurement with Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
Launched in 2016, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has drastically changed the way goods and services are procured by government bodies. Conceptualised and designed as a fully digital, paperless, and contactless platform for public procurement, GeM remains one of the most impactful process reforms. It has facilitated faster procurement while ensuring value for public money by streamlining vendor registration, transparent bidding processes, and real-time performance tracking.
GeM has recorded a gross merchandise value (GMV) of over Rs. 5.4 lakh crore as of February 2025. Through GeM, 38% of procurement has been sourced from Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs), enabling their greater participation. It has also been a vehicle of inclusivity with 1.8 lakh women-led businesses onboarded under the SWAYATT initiative.
Expedited and Clearer Exits: Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE)
The PM Modi-led Government has ensured ease of doing business throughout the entire business cycle by speeding up the process of exiting a business in the country. The government launched a centralised platform, the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE), in 2023 to process company closure applications.
C-PACE has brought down the timelines of exiting a business in India, which earlier used to take anywhere between 180 to 730 days, to just 90 days, enabling timely closures and efficient redeployment of resources and capital. This simple yet powerful process reform has reduced compliance-related costs for businesses, particularly startups and MSMEs. It has effectively reduced exit barriers and enhanced flexibility, which are key features of a modern economy.
Compliance Rationalisation and Decriminalisation of Business Laws
A distinctive feature of PM Modi’s reform agenda has been the reduction of bureaucratic overreach, especially in business regulation. The government has reduced over 42,000 compliances across ministries and departments by eliminating duplications and streamlining documentation. The government has also decriminalised over 3,700 provisions that previously imposed penal consequences for minor defaults.
The enactment of the Jan Vishwas Act (2023) has further decriminalised 183 provisions across 42 Central Acts spanning diverse sectors, removing criminal penalties in cases of minor non-compliances. Together, these reforms have restored trust in regulatory processes and facilitated a more conducive environment for business growth.
Faceless and Efficient Tax Administration with CPC and Faceless Assessment
The government introduced the Central Processing Centre (CPC) and Faceless Assessment Scheme under the IT Department, reimagining tax administration and governance in the country. Faceless assessment, introduced in 2019 has successfully eliminated the physical interface between taxpayers and regulatory authorities, resulting in reduced discretion, enhanced fairness, and sped-up turnaround time.
According to the latest available data, 99% of the income tax returns were filed electronically, and assessments were processed without a single in-person visit. The result of these process reforms has been greater consistency in outcomes for taxpayers, enhanced voluntary compliance, and reduced litigation.
Modernising Regulations and Reforms in Other Service Providers (OSP) Framework
The liberalisation of the Other Service Providers (OSP) guidelines by the government’s Department of Telecommunications is a targeted and timely process reform in the technology and services domain. The revised guidelines have eased rigid infrastructure and registration requirements on IT-enabled service providers imposed by the previous OSP regime. Guidelines issued in 2020 and 2021 have removed the restriction on remote work, infrastructure sharing, and registration mandates, significantly lowering entry barriers, enhancing operational flexibility, and making Indian BPOs/KPOs more attractive for international service delivery.
Responsive Grievance Redressal with CPGRAMS
Process reformation under the PM Modi-led government has not been limited to just economic processes. The government has made genuine efforts at improving government-citizen interaction. For the timely resolution of citizen complaints across ministries, the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) has emerged as a robust platform for responsive governance. It has resulted in improved administrative accountability by setting time-bound response targets and enabling tracking of complaint status. CPGRAMS is modelled on the State-Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology (SWAGAT) platform that PM Modi had introduced during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Conclusion
The emphasis that the PM Modi-led government has placed on process reforms in the last eleven years signifies a marked shift towards enhancing operational efficiency within the government. These reforms have laid the foundation of a robust, transparent, and citizen-centric model of governance, which has facilitated improved outcomes and restored faith in public institutions.
As the country moves towards its goal of becoming a Viksit Bharat, these process reforms will be instrumental in enabling faster governance and achieving long-term prosperity.
