Digitalisation has eased our lives by simplifying the way we work. It has made the processes smooth & faster in every field.  With the help of digitalisation, businesses have been able to deliver products or services to market much faster than before and thus increase their consumer reach. There is no denying the fact that incorporating digitisation into our professional processes has the power to change our workflow drastically.

The Indian government also aims to make operations seamless through it’s “ Digital India Campaign”. Especially talking about obtaining government licenses and permissions and how much of a gigantic task it was. Not long ago, if one needed to get permission, we all know how cumbersome and tedious the process could have been. Hence, a desperate attempt to solve this humungous issue gave birth to the concept of a common online platform through which one could apply for these certifications. Thanks to technology and the consistent efforts of our government, this obstacle is set to become a past with the help of the National Single Window System.

National Single Window System

NSWS has been developed by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as per the budget announcement of the creation of an Investment Clearance Cell (ICC) and marks a major leap in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB).

National Single Window System is a one stop digital platform to guide businesses in identifying and applying for approvals required by them. The platform was soft launched in September 2021 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

It aims at making the business registration process easier, allowing the beneficiary to get significant approvals online, without having to run to the government offices for approvals and can avail themselves of services with just a click.

Since its launch, 27 central government departments and 19 States/Union Territories have integrated themselves into the National Single Window System.

How It works

The National Single Window System allows investors to apply for various pre-operations approvals required for commencing a business in the country. It has enabled the facility to submit all the required paperwork for approval in a single place, reducing hassle and speeding up the process.

An integrated solution that enables the identification, application and subsequent tracking of approvals for all integrated states and central departments.

National Single Window System (NSWS) accepts applications for 248 Government to business clearances from 26 central ministries and departments and 16 states and union territories. One can use the platform to get their Trade License, Building Plan Approval and much more.

At present, 13 different business IDs like EPFO, ESIC, GSTN, TIN, TAN, and PAN are being used to apply for various government approvals in the system.

Benefits for businesses

The system is envisioned to reduce duplicity of information submission to different ministries, reduce compliance burden, promote sector specific reforms and schemes, reduce gestation period of projects, and promote ease of starting and doing business. It aims to bring transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the ecosystem.

Know Your Approvals (KYA) service available on NSWS helps inform businesses of the details of all the approvals they need to obtain as well as a common registration form, document repository and e-communication module.

Key Takeaways

National Single Window System has facilitated over 44000 approvals since launch; over 28 thousand applications are under process.  Hence if you are planning on a startup or seeking regulatory permissions to expand your business, you can now relax and process it from the comfort of your office instead of having to hustle between departments.

The Centre is likely to bring on board states that are not a part of the National Single Window System by March 2023. Also, in future government is planning to make Permanent Account Number (PAN) as the unique identifier to enter into the national single window system (NSWS) to facilitate the centralization of data further.

References

- https://www.nsws.gov.in/about-us

- https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy/story/what-is-the-national-single-window-system-and-how-will-it-work-355372-2022-12-06

- https://www.livemint.com/news/india/centre-to-onboard-all-states-on-national-single-window-system-by-march-11669895083041.html

- https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-single-window-system