(Commonwealth_ India) This year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood at the Red Fort and spoke of the need to reform India’s tax and regulatory systems, many people across the country, especially business owners and entrepreneurs, felt a flicker of hope. Not only did the prime minister make the correct statement, but those words emerged from years of struggle, frustration, and missed opportunities. The hope now is that maybe, just maybe, someone is finally listening.
Because here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud: doing business in India is hard. Not hard in the way starting any business is; it’s hard in a way that makes people give up before they even begin. It’s challenging in a way that makes bright, capable young Indians look overseas for opportunities. And it’s challenging in a way that has left us watching other countries, especially China, race ahead while we keep tripping over our own rules.
Think back to 2001. The world was looking at India and China as the rising stars of the century. Our economies were still in their infancy, still establishing themselves. Back then, China’s economy was about twice the size of ours. Today, it’s nearly five times bigger. They moved ahead with speed and focus. Indians, on the other hand, got caught in a web of bureaucracy, indecision, and misplaced priorities.
It’s not just about GDP or numbers on a chart. It’s about something more human. It’s about all the small businesses that never got off the ground because someone couldn’t get a license in time. It’s about all the young entrepreneurs who experienced burnout while chasing approvals instead of pursuing their dreams. It’s about people who invested everything into an idea, only to be crushed not by failure, but by red tape.
Right now, starting a business in India doesn’t encourage you; it tests you.ust getting your foot in the door can mean navigating a mess of permissions, inspections, forms, and often, quiet demands for bribes. The so-called “single-window” clearance system is often a mirage. There are too many doors, too many windows, and no one to guide you through them.
If you’re not a large investor with substantial financial resources, this system may not be accessible to you. Most state governments roll out the red carpet for massive corporations but barely glance at the smaller players. The irony is, it’s the small and medium enterprises that create the most jobs, bring in local innovation, and form the backbone of our economy. However, they are often overlooked.
Even if you manage to set up your business, keeping it running is no less exhausting. One small business owner recently said, “I spend more time complying with rules than serving customers.” That’s not an exaggeration. A typical MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise) might deal with 50+ recurring compliances and 17 licenses from 18 different authorities, just to stay open.
Then there’s the tax system. It’s not just complex; it’s unpredictable. People don’t fear paying taxes; they fear the surprise notices, the sudden freezing of bank accounts, and the endless litigation that eats up time and money. A single error, which may not even be your own, can bring your entire business to a complete halt. That’s not how a healthy economy treats its entrepreneurs.
If your business fails, which can happen in any country, there is no graceful exit. Closing a business in India is like going through a second trauma. Selling your assets, settling your dues, and clearing the necessary paperwork can feel like navigating a bureaucratic jungle with no clear path to closure.
So, when we talk about “ease of doing business,” it’s not about climbing the World Bank rankings or attracting flashy foreign investments. It’s about something far more personal. It’s about dignity. It’s about creating an environment where someone with a dream, some savings, and a willingness to work hard feels like they have a fair chance. Where they’re not afraid of the system but supported by it.
Reforms, if they’re to mean anything, must be more than policy announcements. They have to touch the everyday lives of real people: farmers turning to food processing, artisans trying to go digital, local traders building new supply chains, and women launching small ventures from their homes. These are the people who will truly power India’s growth story, not just the multinational giants.
To arrive there, we need empathy in governance. We need policymakers who don’t just write laws but understand the lived experiences behind them. We need less suspicion and more trust, less punishment and more partnership. And we need to ask the people who actually run businesses what they need and then act on it, not months or years later, but now.
India has no shortage of ambition or talent. We have entrepreneurs who are hungry to build, innovate, and take risks. What we lack is a system that lets them breathe, grow, and, if necessary, fail with dignity.
We’re at a point where we have to decide: do we keep dragging the weight of old systems and outdated thinking, or do we clear the path and finally let our people run?
Ultimately, the vision of a more robust India does not reside in boardrooms or speeches. It lives in the workshops, the home offices, the factory floors, the backrooms of kirana stores, and the hearts of people who are ready to build, if only we let them.
