The Central government on Wednesday soft launched the first phase of the National Single Window System to provide investors a digital platform to apply for various pre-operations approvals required for business ventures in India. The government says the National Single Window System will help India attract greater foreign investment as it will integrate the existing clearance systems of various central and state departments.

During a review meeting in June, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had said 17 ministries and departments and 14 states will be onboard the first phase of the single window system. The National Single Window System has been proposed to remove the hassles faced by investors while visiting multiple platforms to gather information and obtain clearances from different stakeholders.

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The creation of a centralized Investment Clearance Cell would provide end-to-end facilitation support to investors, including pre-investment advisory and information related to land banks. It will also facilitate clearances at Central and State level.

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The online system will have all the facilities, including land purchasing, and provide information to businesses and industrialists. The system is expected to reduce compliance burden for investors, simplify cumbersome processes and enable ease of doing business in India.

The government says the single window system will act as a one-stop solution to all the problems or requirements of the investors.

The system will also help investors with approvals required for a particular business, monitor their status, and seek clarifications regarding the same.

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Last year, Goyal had also informed the Lok Sabha that initially the government is focusing on 27 sectors under its Make in India 2.0 program to facilitate investment and build top class manufacturing infrastructure. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade was coordinating action plans for 15 manufacturing sectors, while Department of Commerce for 12 service sectors, he had said.