Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Government Regulations and Its Effect On Business
Government Regulations and Its Effect On Business
SUBMITTED TO
SUBMITTED BY
(ASST.PROF.MR.NISHANT S. CHAVAN)
THROUGH
2023-24
DECLARATION
Asst.Prof.Mr.Nishant S. Chavan
Supervisor’s Name Internal Examiner
INDEX
PARTICULARS Page No.
1.1.1 Abstract 4
1.1.7 Conclusions 18
1.1.8 Webliography 19
2.1.1 Abstract 20
2.1.7 Webliography 34
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND ITS EFFECT ON
BUSINESS-RELATION OF DEMOGRAPHY AND
ECONOMICS DEVELOPMENT FOR INDIA
ABSTRACT
India has the distinction of being one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In the
past two decades, liberalization has transformed India from being an inward looking state-
based economy, into a globalized market-based economy, now identified as one of the most
attractive investment locations globally. With Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of
about 5.7% in the first quarter of 2014-15 and a sustained 7-8% average growth for the past
decade, the Indian economy has shown itself to be robust and remarkably resilient during the
global economic slowdown. The success of Indian economic reforms is evidenced by high
GDP growth, high growth rate in manufacturing sector, comfortable foreign exchange
reserves, improved short-term debt profile and buoyant exports. Since 1991, the industrial
sectors have seen positive structural changes, improvements in productivity, modernization
and infusion of new technology. Companies have consolidated around their areas of core
competence, within India and overseas, by opting for foreign tie-ups and infusing new
technology, management expertise and access to foreign markets. In the technology sector,
almost all the major global players have established operations in India. Others procure
services from Indian third-party service providers.
The far-reaching and sweeping economic changes that have taken shape since 1991 have
unleashed the growth potential of the Indian economy. The Government of India’s current
policies offer a more transparent economic environment and are geared towards promoting
domestic and foreign investment. Over the past two decades, except for a small list of
prohibited sectors, foreign investment is permitted in all sectors. Furthermore, the all-
important ‘Single Brand Retail’ sector has been fully opened for foreign investment (up to
49% Automatic and between 49% to 100% with Government approval), and the “Multi
Brand Retail” sector has been opened up to 51% with Government approval which are seen
as welcome signs of the Government’s intent to liberalize further. Recently, the Government
further liberalized the FDI policy by permitting (i) 100% FDI (up to 49% Automatic and
between 49% to 100% with Government approval) in the Telecom sector; (ii) 100% FDI
under the Automatic Route (i.e. without any prior Government’s approval) in Petroleum &
Natural Gas, (iii) 49% FDI under the Automatic Route for commodity exchanges, power
exchanges, stock exchanges; (iv) 100% FDI (up to 49% Automatic and between 49% to
100% with government approval)
in the asset reconstruction companies; (v) 74% FDI under the Automatic Route in credit
information companies; (vi) 100% FDI under the Automatic Route in the courier services;
and (vii) 100% FDI (up to 49% Automatic and between 49% to 100% with government
approval) in the Single-Brand Retail trade. With respect to the Defence Sector, FDI up to
49% is allowed with Government approval, while FDI above the 49% limit shall be
considered by the Cabinet Committee on Security on a case to case basis.
FDI of up to 100% is permitted under the automatic route in railway infrastructure. Similarly,
100% FDI is allowed in rail track construction. On August 27, 2014, government permitted
private sector investment in railway infrastructure by amending the list of industries reserved
for public sector. However, this FDI is subject to sectoral guidelines of Ministry of Railways.
Further, proposals involving FDI beyond 49% (forty nine percent) in sensitive areas from
security point of view will be brought by the Ministry of Railways before the Cabinet
Committee on Security for consideration on a case-to-case basis.
FDI in Pharmaceutical sector has been allowed to 100% in the Automatic Route for
greenfield pharmaceuticals and 100% through Government approval for brownfield
pharmaceuticals. Also, FDI in Insurance sector has been permitted to the extent of 26% under
the Automatic Route, subject to conditions such as obtaining of license from the Insurance
Regulatory & Development Authority.
Changes are also proposed in FDI rules in B2C e-commerce sector for permitting foreign
investment in sale of goods and services over e-commerce.
From a policy perspective, it is clear that the Government of India continues to view foreign
investment and private enterprise as a key driver of economic growth in India and the policy
measures and changes have been tailored in keeping with this objective. Government of India
has also taken initiatives to do away with the obsolete laws and amend the existing laws
wherever necessary (for example, labour laws).
INTRODUCTION
India started developing regulatory institutions with the introduction of reforms in 1991. But
the regulatory environment which has developed over a period of time does not seem
homogeneous across sectors. India still ranks very low in terms of the enabling nature of its
business environment and unnecessary regulatory burdens are imposed upon business and
investors.
The objective of this paper is to evaluate the regulatory structure and status of regulation in
India. It is structured as follows. Section 2 explains the rationale for regulation and details its
typology. Sections 3 and 4 examine in detail business and sector regulation respectively as
well as associated institutional landscapes. Section 5 elaborates on and evaluates the drivers
of change in regulation and the underlying institutional landscape. Sections 6 and 7 carry this
discussion further by looking at the factors which affect the regulatory environment. The
rationale for and current status of interaction between policy makers and regulators is
examined in Section 6 while participation of stakeholders in the regulatory process is
examined in Section 7.
Sections 8 and 9 are devoted to a study of actual regulatory practices prevailing in the Indian
economy: practices of sector regulators for tackling market failure and anti-competitive
practices (Section 8) and management practices in regulation (Section 9).
Having examined the details of sector regulatory processes through selective illustration, the
management of the overall regulatory environment is examined next. Mechanisms for
ensuring regulatory coherence are discussed in Section 10; institutional weaknesses leading
to gaps between promulgation and implementation of regulation are discussed in Section 11;
and the government's plans for the future are elaborated in Section 12. Section 13 examines
the gaps in the literature on regulation in India. Section 14 concludes.
A natural monopoly occurs when an entire market is more efficiently served by one firm than
by two or more firms due to increasing returns to scale. Natural monopolies enjoy scale
benefits that protect them from competition; entry by other firms tend to lead to inefficient
production i.e., the average cost of output is much higher with entry by multiple firms than
with the existence of just one firm. In such cases, regulation may be necessary to protect
consumer interests. In doing so, regulation might bar the entry of new firms into the sector
and protect the monopoly status of the incumbent operator. Examples include water
distribution and railway lines.
In India, because of the adoption of regulatory reforms, rising demand and fixed cost
reducing technology, telecom is no longer a natural monopoly. The electricity sector was
originally a bundled monopoly but unbundling has led to the introduction of competition in
certain segments. Two segments, transmission and distribution, are still natural monopolies.
The water sector is still a natural monopoly and completely controlled by the government.
Asymmetric information is a situation where one party to a transaction knows more about the
product than another. This prevents the market mechanism from achieving an efficient
allocation of resources. For example, a patient at a clinic knows less about his ailment and
necessary treatment than his doctor, a situation the latter can manipulate to his advantage.
This creates a role for regulation of market transactions or provision of information by a third
party to remove or minimise information asymmetries. In India, considerable information
asymmetries exist in the health and education sector.
Externalities constitute another source of market failure and are defined as the effects of
production or consumption activity - positive or negative -- on actors not involved in the
relevant product market. For example, an industrial plant discharging waste into a river
imposes a negative externality (costs) on users downstream. These costs are not factored into
production decisions at the plant but are instead borne by society. Regulation, in such
circumstances, may be considered appropriate to restore economic efficiency.
Unregulated production and consumption externalities are common in India, as in other
developing economies.
Government direct business regulations are federal rules and acts enacted to safeguard
businesses and the public interest. Small firms can benefit from these restrictions as they
expand. For example, if you operate a construction firm, government rules may demand the
use of specific safety equipment on the job site.
Federal regulations also have an impact on how local firms function since they establish
requirements for employee safety, health care, and environmental protection. State licensing
rules, for example, may require you to carry some insurance for your staff if they are harmed
at work while using risky equipment.
Small business regulations may optimise quality and public safety, which is essential for
drawing in new clients who want to feel secure while making purchases from their
establishment. Finally, by forcing enterprises to follow particular principles while conducting
business with customers, these regulations protect consumers against fraud and bad service.
Government policies carry the rationale for things to be finished in a definite way and the
cause for doing in that direction. Public problems can occur in limitless ways and require
non-identical policy responses.
Governments put in place many policies that lead the way to businesses. The government can
amend the fiscal policy, which provokes changes in taxes, commerce, subsidies, regulations,
interest rates, licensing, and more. Businesses should be supple enough to respond to
changing rules and policies.
Government policies are material at all levels, from national to local levels, such as states and
municipalities. These local authorities have their own sets of laws. There are some
international treaties which can shape the way corporations do business.
Governments get revenue to disburse from the taxes. Increased disbursement requires
increases in taxes or borrowing. Any tax increase will dishearten investment, especially
among business people who take the chance of starting and managing businesses. Increased
expenses also eat into the limited pool of funds, leaving less money for private investment.
DATA ANALYSIS
The business environment in India has a number of problems that adversely impact business.
Aside from persisting bureaucratisation leading to delay in approvals and clearances for
business and structural factors such as poor quality of infrastructure, there are some policy
and legal constraints that affect business.
Bureaucratisation of procedures is being gradually reduced with a corresponding reduction in
the number of government employees. However, it is often the mind set and work culture of
the government employees which creates problems. In spite of policies being framed to
reduce bureaucratisation, the "go slow" attitude remains deeply embedded in the country's
bureaucratic culture which cannot be changed overnight. Only a gradual transformation is
possible.
The investment climate in any economy is determined by a mix of factors. Out of this one
very important factor is the regulatory framework. The regulatory framework in India,
particularly at the state level, has not been conducive for business, either at the entry stage or
during operations.
Among the major impediments to the improvement of the business environment are business
regulations/legislations originally formulated under the 'command and control' regime - relics
which have outlived their utility as India has become increasingly market oriented with time.
A plethora of inspectors and government authorities continue to exercise wide discretionary
powers, nailing business from their inception for minor procedural lapses. To illustrate the
consequences, on an average starting a business in India takes twice as long as that in the
region and OECD because of various rules and regulations, formalities and procedures.
Enforcement of these regulations and associated licenses unnecessarily hampers the smooth
operation of business, and thereby unnecessarily increases the transaction costs of doing
business, thus putting India at competitive disadvantage.
Activity Location Procedures Time (Days) Cost (% of
GNI per
Capita)
Starting a India 13 33 74.6
Business Region 7.6 33.4 40.7
OECD 6.0 14.9 5.1
Dealing with India 20 224 519.4
Licenses Region 16.3 247.3 3230
OECD 14 153.3 62.2
Registering India 6 62 7.7 (% of
Property Property
Value)
Region 6.4 134.1 6"
OECD 4.9 28 4.6 "
India 46 1420 39.6 (% of
Claim)
Enforcing Region 43.5 1047.1 27.2 "
contract OECD 31.3 443.3 17.7"
Activity Location (Recovery Time (Years) Cost (% of
percent) GNI per
Capita)
Closing a India 11.6 10 9 (% of estate)
Business Region 20.1 5 6.5 "
OECD 74.1 1.3 7.5
An unfriendly regulatory climate poses certain costs for business and reduces private
investment. Indian states have improved considerably over the years but there are wide
variations in facilitating business across states. Government efforts are marked by an absence
of strategic thinking: there is no effort to identify, map and review business regulations that
are more cumbersome than others and can be done away without too many legislative
hurdles. The government is expected to take steps to develop a decisive and integrated action
plan to enhance transparency, simplify bureaucratic procedures and modify or scrap
regulations. Regulatory impediments need to be properly articulated and acknowledged and
measures taken to minimise their adverse effect on the functioning of business.
KEY FINDINGS
Many business laws in India precede the country’s independence in 1947. For example,
the Indian Contract Act of 1872 is still in force, although specific contracts such as
partnerships and the sale of goods are now covered by newer laws. The Partnership Act of
1932 covers partnership firms in India. Business laws regulating chartered accountants and
cost accountants were passed in 1949 and 1959, respectively. The Banking Regulation Act
of 1949 continues to regulate private banking companies and manage banks in India. In 2012,
it was amended by the Banking Law (Amendments) Act. Under these amendments, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was given power to restrict voting rights and shares acquisition
in a bank. The RBI established the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund. Banks are now
able to issue both equity and preference shares under RBI guidelines.
While India is often criticized for complex regulations, it is important to keep in mind that
that in some cases, these laws are simpler than those of the U.S. Furthermore, most
regulations are consistent across the country, and attorneys in India can practice in any state.
Filing lawsuits is seldom productive in most commercial disputes since court cases can drag
on for decades and collection can take even longer. For large deals, binding third-country
arbitration can be the best way to resolve disputes.
Following India’s economic development in the 21st century, the Ministry of Corporate
Affairs passed the Competition Act of 2002 and the Limited Liability Act in 2008. These
promote sustainable competition in markets, prohibit anti-competitive business practices, and
protect consumer interests while ensuring free trade.
The Parliament of India passes and amends regulations for both businesses and investors. In
addition to provisions from the Companies Act of 1956, the Companies Act of 2013 features
provisions regarding mergers and acquisitions, board room decision-making, related party
transactions, corporate social responsibility, and shareholding. The act was further amended
through the Companies Act of 2015 which eliminated the procedural common seal,
declarations for commencement of businesses, and minimum paid-up capital requirements.
The amendment also relaxed governing-related party transactions while limiting access to
strategic corporate resolutions in India.
Business laws in India include consumer protection. The Consumer Protection Act,
1986mandates Consumer Dispute Redressal Forums at local and national levels. Older laws,
such as the Standards of Weights & Measures Act of 1956, ensure fair competition in the
market and free flow of correct information from providers of goods and services to
consumers.
Due to the growth of trade, the Indian government passed the Foreign Trade (Development
and Regulation) Act of 1992 to facilitate imports and augment exports. The latest EXIM
Policy, known as the Foreign Trade Policy, was issued for April 2015 to March 2020.
The Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) replaced the Served from India Scheme.
The SEIS extends the duty-exempted scrip to Indian service providers and provides notified
services in a specified mode outside the country. Under the Export Promotion Capital
Goods Scheme, the export obligation requires six times the duty saved on imported capital
goods; in the case of local sourcing of capital goods, the export obligation is reduced by 25%.
Beyond goods and services, the Foreign Exchange Management Act of 1999 regulates
foreign exchange transactions including investments abroad.
As a founding member of the World Trade Organization in 1995, India has updated business
laws regarding copyrights, patents, and trademarks to meet the Agreement on Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Indian companies and the federal government honour
global IP rights. However, because music copyrights are different in India, both Indian and
Western IP owners in the entertainment industry have suffered due to digital piracy. Even so,
there are few IP-related disputes outside of several celebrated pharmaceutical industry cases.
In 2013, India’s Supreme Court denied Novartis an extension to update its cancer drug
Gleevec due to “evergreening” charges.
13 CHAPTERS/PARTS 29
15 SCHEDULES 7
CONCLUSION
Governments play an important role in the financial world. Regulations, subsidies, and taxes
can have immediate, long-lasting impacts on companies. For this reason, legal and political
risk is considered a notable factor when pricing stocks. A good investment can turn out to be
not that efficient if it's at risk of seeing its competitive advantage and profits diminish as a
result of certain government actions. Political factors play an important role before going into
any business.
The government may help businesses by providing financial, legal, and other assistance. It
can also be a public servant, enacting and enforcing consumer protection, labour safety, and
other regulations. Regulators have a lengthy history of locking nations in long-term decline
patterns. This issue will almost never be addressed since disagreements between different
portions of any community will always exist.
As technology advances, the government's relationship with corporations may grow more
regulated and collaborative. The key to success may be to preserve the government's position
as an impartial referee as the rules of the game change.
Regulatory reforms in India have been initiated as these have become essential in the light of
changing macroeconomic policies. At the level of the central government, the progress is
quite satisfactory but State governments need to supplement it by taking similar initiatives.
At the sector level, many sectors remain unexplored from a regulatory point of view. Coal
sector promises to be an important sector because of the importance of coal in the Indian
context. Other sectors which deserve attention are the social (health and education) and retail
sectors. Both play a significant role in the Indian economy from the point of view of human
capital formation and demand generation respectively.
Another competition issue that needs to be given priority is simulation of competition in
natural monopolies through public-private partnerships (PPPs). This 1s particularly relevant
in the case of sectors such as railways and highways. Of particular importance are the
negotiation and renegotiation of contracts underlying PPPs which should be tailored to
maximise social welfare. Finally, creating independent regulators in the true sense is equally
important.
Webliography
1. https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=
2ahUKEwjBq_Wd1paCAxVIzjgGHRPsCuUQFnoECBQQAQ&url=
https%3A%2F%2Fsanctionscanner.com%2Fblog%2Fimpacts-of-
government-regulations-on-businesses-
312&usg=AOvVaw2VzZZBnosxjjMv9H785FPv&opi=89978449
2. https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=
2ahUKEwjBq_Wd1paCAxVIzjgGHRPsCuUQFnoECCIQAQ&url=
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vedantu.com%2Fcommerce
%2Fgovernment-
regulations&usg=AOvVaw2agxoxRqrTDdJiqon4obTN&opi=899784
49
3. https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=
2ahUKEwjBq_Wd1paCAxVIzjgGHRPsCuUQFnoECB8QAQ&url=
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oecd.org%2Fgov%2Fregulatory-policy
%2F44925979.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3S-
UbDozgS3J0ph1vZgbeH&opi=89978449
4. https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=
2ahUKEwjBq_Wd1paCAxVIzjgGHRPsCuUQFnoECB0QAQ&url=
https%3A%2F%2Famritt.com%2Fservices%2Findia-business-
consulting%2Fbusiness-laws-regulations-in-india
%2F&usg=AOvVaw0LGTWRBS3r9v4iok03GwMt&opi=89978449