IICA Sets Up High-Level Advisory Group to Boost Ease of Doing Business

The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), has constituted a high-level Advisory Group (AG) on Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) to streamline corporate compliance and modernise India's regulatory framework.

The Advisory Group, chaired by Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General & CEO, IICA, has been established following the Ministry's order dated 31 December 2025 and aligns with the Government of India's vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Focus on Simplifying Corporate Compliance

The initiative marks a significant step toward enhancing India's regulatory ecosystem by simplifying compliance under the Companies Act, 2013 and leveraging technology-driven governance models.

The Advisory Group will provide strategic guidance on rationalising compliance requirements, particularly through e-forms prescribed under the Companies Act, while benchmarking global best practices to ensure India's corporate regulatory architecture remains efficient, contemporary and investor-friendly.

Mandate: Reduce Regulatory Burden, Improve User Experience

The Group has been entrusted with a broad mandate to recommend measures that improve compliance efficiency and reduce regulatory burdens on businesses.

Key areas of focus include:

• Assessing feasibility of proposed reforms

• Developing a phased implementation roadmap

• Reducing duplicative filings through consolidation and automation

• Introducing event-based processing mechanisms

• Designing an Integrated Form Blueprint to improve user experience and regulatory clarity

The Advisory Group will also facilitate stakeholder consultations, conduct impact assessments and propose draft amendments to the Companies Act and related rules to support a modern, transparent and technology-driven regulatory framework.

Diverse Representation from Government, Industry and Academia

The Advisory Group comprises distinguished members from government, academia, industry and professional bodies.

Members include:

• Shri Shantanu Mitra, Senior Economic Advisor, MCA

• Shri Sanjay Shorey, Director General of Corporate Affairs, MCA

• Shri Balamurugan D, Joint Secretary, MCA

• Prof. Harpreet Kaur, Vice-Chancellor, NLU Jodhpur

• Shri Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE

• Shri Ajay Bahl and Shri Bahram N. Vakil, AZB & Partners

• Shri P. R. Ramesh, Former Chairman, Deloitte India

• Prof. M. P. Ram Mohan, IIM Ahmedabad

• Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan, IIM Bangalore

• Shri Pavan Kumar Vijay, Founder, Corporate Professionals; Past President, ICSI

• Shri Rahul Matthan, Trilegal

• Dr. Pankaj Dikshit, Executive Director & Chief AI/Digital Officer, Cygnet.One

• Representatives from ICAI, ICSI and ICMAI

• Representatives from CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM

Prof. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor & Head, School of Business Environment, IICA, will serve as Member-Convener, with the School acting as the Secretariat to support research and consultations.

Research Study on EoDB for 2047

As part of the broader reform push, IICA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MCA to undertake a comprehensive research study titled "Re-envisioning Ease of Doing Business for Viksit Bharat 2047."

The study aims to generate evidence-based recommendations to drive policy innovation and administrative reforms, strengthening India's business environment in line with its long-term economic growth aspirations.

Towards a Globally Competitive Business Ecosystem

The formation of the Advisory Group signals the government's intent to move toward participatory policymaking, digital-first compliance systems and globally competitive regulatory standards.

By rationalising compliance processes and embedding technology-enabled governance, the initiative seeks to enhance investor confidence, reduce friction for enterprises and position India as a preferred destination for business and investment in the coming decades.