CII Proposes Major Reforms in GST, Trade, and Employment to Boost India's Competitiveness

·  CII unveils “Policies for a Competitive India” with 250+ reform recommendations across 14 areas.

·  Calls for simplified GST, rationalised tariffs, and national employment & gig economy policies.

·  Suggests privatisation of non-strategic PSEs, stronger energy reforms, and faster dispute resolution.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Sunday released its report “Policies for a Competitive India”, outlining a comprehensive reform roadmap to accelerate the country’s economic transformation. The report calls for a simplified GST structure, inclusion of petroleum and real estate under its ambit, a rationalised tariff regime, and national employment and gig economy policies.

The blueprint, developed through extensive consultations with industry leaders, economists, and policy experts, puts forward more than 250 actionable recommendations across 14 key reform areas, aligned with the government’s Viksit Bharat vision.

CII President Rajiv Memani said, “These recommendations are in line with the government’s reform direction and the Prime Minister’s call for bold, transformative change. As a dynamic document, ‘Policies for a Competitive India’ will keep evolving with new ideas to support policymakers.”

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Key reform areas include fiscal discipline, inflation management, and modernised statistical systems; privatisation of non-strategic public sector enterprises (PSEs); creation of a sovereign wealth fund; decriminalisation of minor violations; faster approvals and single-window clearances; as well as second-generation reforms to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

The report also advocates streamlined labour codes, a clear minimum wage framework, and accelerated dispute resolution mechanisms. Energy reforms such as competitive tariffs, elimination of cross-subsidies, stronger transmission networks, private investment in nuclear energy, and a green hydrogen roadmap were also highlighted.

For dispute settlement, CII suggests strengthening commercial courts, arbitration councils, and tribunals to ensure quicker outcomes.

Sanjiv Bajaj, Past President of CII and Chairman of the Task Force on Reciprocal Tariffs, noted, “As India advances towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, it must accelerate and deepen reforms to stay globally competitive. With expanding FTAs and increasing international engagement, Indian industry must be ready to match global standards.”

Other recommendations include a targeted e-commerce export strategy, manufacturing growth via capital support, industrial corridors, and freight connectivity, phased compliance for MSMEs, and industry-wide integration into climate adaptation through digitised climate data and sustainability-linked procurement.

CII emphasized that the proposed reforms can unlock growth, generate jobs, strengthen resilience, and ensure sustainability  paving the way for India to achieve its Viksit Bharat aspirations and strengthen its position as a global leader.