corporate law

Understanding the National Single Window System for Regulatory Approvals

Overview of the National Single Window System

The Budget 2020-21 introduced by the Finance Minister included plans for an Investment Clearance Cell (ICC). This initiative aims to deliver comprehensive support to investors through pre-investment advisory services, information regarding land banks, and assistance in obtaining clearances at both the Centre and State levels. The ICC is designed to operate via an online digital portal.

In alignment with this directive, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in collaboration with Invest India, initiated the development of the National Single Window System (NSWS). This system was envisioned as a unified resource for obtaining all regulatory approvals and services across the nation. The NSWS portal [www.nsws.gov.in] was soft-launched on September 22, 2021, by the Commerce and Industry Minister.

The NSWS aims to seamlessly integrate various clearance systems from the Government of India ministries and departments as well as State Governments, ensuring that their existing IT portals remain functional.

Integrated Ministries and Departments

As of now, the NSWS portal has onboarded approvals from 19 Ministries/Departments and 10 State Single Window Systems. Below is the list of integrated Ministries and Departments:

  1. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  2. Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
  3. Ministry of Labour & Employment
  4. Department of Food & Public Distribution
  5. Department of Consumer Affairs
  6. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (FSSAI & CDSCO)
  7. Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  8. Department of Commerce
  9. Department of Telecommunications
  10. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
  11. Ministry of Power
  12. Ministry of Railways
  13. Department of Biotechnology
  14. Department of Revenue
  15. Ministry of Civil Aviation
  16. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  17. Department of Fisheries
  18. Ministry of Textiles
  19. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

States Integrated with NSWS

The integration of States into the NSWS currently includes:

  1. Goa
  2. Gujarat
  3. Himachal Pradesh
  4. Odisha
  5. Uttar Pradesh
  6. Uttarakhand
  7. Punjab
  8. Karnataka
  9. Andhra Pradesh
  10. Telangana

Know Your Approvals (KYA) Module

The KYA Module serves as an informative tool that assists investors in identifying the essential pre-operation approvals and licenses they require. It does this through a guided question-and-answer format, allowing investors to provide information that will tailor subsequent questions accordingly. Upon completion of the KYA questionnaire, investors can view a list of applicable licenses required from both Central and State Governments.

Additionally, the module features an Information Toolbox, which clarifies the relevance and purpose of each query, thus enhancing the user experience and reducing information discrepancies.

The KYA service is currently operational on the NSWS platform, encompassing 544 approvals from 32 Central Ministries/Departments and 2,715 approvals across 14 States, totaling 3,259 approvals.