Chandigarh, October 30, 2025: Regulatory clearances in Punjab have reached a 98% success rate at the district level, marking a sharp turnaround in how businesses interact with the state administration. The “Fast Track Punjab Portal,” relaunched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in May 2025, has significantly reduced bureaucratic hurdles and delays, government data show.
Officials said the online system has disposed of nearly all pending applications, bringing down the backlog from 8,075 in February to only 283 — a 96% drop statewide. At the district level, pending cases fell from 833 to just 17. “The aim was to ensure that work no longer gets stuck in files. Our focus is on timely, transparent approvals,” Mann said.
The platform, which allows entrepreneurs to seek more than 100 industry-related approvals online, has drawn investment proposals worth ₹21,700 crore since its relaunch — a 167% jump from last year. Project applications rose to 950 this year, showing a 76% annual increase. In the last four months alone, 87% of service applications and 81% of license requests were processed on time.
According to officials, projects up to ₹125 crore under the Punjab Right to Business Act are now approved within 15 to 18 days, while those inside designated industrial parks are cleared in just five days on the basis of self-declaration. “We have replaced middlemen with a transparent digital window,” an official from the industries department said.
The Fast Track Portal covers multiple sectors — from manufacturing, renewable energy, and agro-based units to IT parks, logistics, and hospitality projects. Each entrepreneur can apply online from a single dashboard and receive decisions within 45 days. “This single-window system has reduced corruption and saved both time and cost,” an MSME owner from Moga noted.
The reforms have also benefited small businesses and artisans who previously waited months for multiple permits. “Earlier, I needed 15 different certificates. Now I need only six,” said Gurpreet Singh, a small textile manufacturer. “I can expand without chasing officers.”
Once limited to industrial hubs like Ludhiana and Mohali, the new approval process has triggered investment in smaller districts too. Government officials said uniform development policies have made Punjab one of the more investor-friendly states.
Analysts noted that improved efficiency is restoring public trust. “When people see their work done quickly and honestly, it restores faith in governance,” said a senior economist based in Chandigarh.
With nearly all old cases cleared, the Mann administration said it views these reforms as “the base of a transparent industrial culture” — one meant to encourage entrepreneurs to stay and build in Punjab rather than look abroad.
