Reduce Licenses to Cut Time for Setting Up New Industries – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

‘Ease of Doing Business’ for a Prosperous Industrial Maharashtra

Mumbai, Sept 2025 : Our state attracts the highest foreign investment in the country. Reforms are being undertaken to convert this investment into industries in the shortest possible time. To save time, the number of licenses required for setting up new industries should be reduced, directed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He was speaking at the review meeting of reforms in the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ War Room held at Sahyadri Guest House.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ policy is being implemented to create a prosperous industrial Maharashtra. By implementing these reforms, Maharashtra should develop the best model for starting new industries. The Urban Development Department should develop an artificial intelligence–based online system for granting building construction permits required by industries. Once an application is submitted as per rules, the system should automatically ensure submission of required documents and grant the construction permission to the applicant. This ‘auto system’ should save the applicant’s time by executing the process automatically.

Many licenses required for industries are related to multiple departments. Therefore, there should be a mechanism to provide all necessary permissions through a single application, so that entrepreneurs are not forced to reapply. Regarding environmental permissions, industries in the Green Category should be exempted from taking various licenses for a fixed number of years. After the prescribed period, licenses should be issued and regulated, Fadnavis added.

Several industrial licenses are issued at the district level. In such cases, coordination between the state-level departments and district administration should be strengthened to ensure speedy approvals. An industry-friendly environment is being created in the state to promote industrial growth. With these reforms, more investment will flow into Maharashtra, boosting industrial expansion. This will help achieve the target of a $1 trillion economy. Hence, Fadnavis stressed that authorities must implement the ongoing reforms with seriousness. He also expressed the expectation that Maharashtra should be seen as the state where new entrepreneurs can start industries in the shortest possible time in the country.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) O. P. Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Asimkumar Gupta, Principal Secretary (Industries) P. Anbalagan, Principal Secretary (Planning) Saurabh Vijay, Development Commissioner (Industries) Dipendrasinh Kushwaha, and others. The Chief Minister’s investment advisor Kaustubh Dhavse made a presentation at the meeting.