'eBiz' for one-stop clearance to investment plans

To provide one-stop clearance platform for investment proposals, government today launched an online portal 'eBiz', developed by IT major Infosys.

'eBiz' will provide all business and investment related regulatory services across central, state and local governments on a single platform.

"This project aims to create a business and investor friendly ecosystem in India . . . thereby obviating the need for an investor or a business to visit multiple offices or a plethora of websites," Commerce and Industry Ministry said.

"This Mission Mode Project will mark a paradigm shift in the government's approach to provide government-to-business services for India's investor and business communities," Commerce, Industry and Textiles Minister Anand Sharma said after launching the portal at the CII Partnership Summit in Agra.

Developed under a public private partnership model, Infosys has been selected as the Concessionaire/ Project Implementation Partner.

Sharma expressed the hope that 'eBiz' will become a benchmark for successful PPPs in the country.

'eBiz' will create a 24x7 facility for information and services and will also offer joined-up services where a single application submitted by a customer for a number of permissions, clearances, approvals and registrations will be routed automatically across multiple governmental agencies in a logical manner.

The ministry said that it is envisaged that the services offered on eBiz will eventually cover the entire life cycle of a business – right from the its establishment, through its ongoing operations, to even its possible closure.

Also, an inbuilt payment gateway will add value by allowing all payments to be collected at one point and then apportioned, split and routed to the respective heads of account of central/state/para-statal

agencies along with generation of challans.

Sharma said this payment gateway is the first of its kind designed in India and can become a universal payment gateway for all eGovernance applications.

As part of the 10-year programme, Infosys will roll out services in a phased manner.

In the first year, 29 services will be launched in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

The first phase of the project, launched today, provides an interactive tool that helps investors assess the licences and permits requirements while setting up and operating a business in India.

Over the course of the second and the third years, another 21 services will be launched and five additional states will be brought under the scope of this project.

From the fourth year onwards, the project will see more than 200 services rolled out across the country.

"Starting a new business in India requires registering with various regulatory authorities and getting permits and clearances.

"This portal will be a gateway to get relevant information and services related to planning, starting and operating businesses in India as well as these licences and approvals," Infosys vice president and head (India Business) C N Raghupati told PTI.

Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Saurabh Chandra said 'eBiz' marks the "highest level of maturity" in web-based eGovernance applications as it strives to achieve horizontal integration across various verticals of central government, state governments and para-statal agencies.