A decade ago, launching and scaling a startup in India often felt like navigating a maze of approvals, paperwork, and the lingering risk of disproportionate penalties for minor slips. The ecosystem was largely confined to a few metros, weighed down by compliance burdens that discouraged risk-taking. As of March 2026, India has surpassed 2 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups, with a record 55,200 added in FY 2025-26 alone; a 51% jump year-on-year.

Process reforms have become one of the strongest drivers of India’s economic transformation. They are quietly but steadily reshaping the foundations of Ease of Doing Business by fixing the day-to-day machinery of governance.

The Jan Vishwas reform is best known as a multi-phase, evolving architecture of trust-based governance. It stands as one of the defining hallmarks of Modi-era economic thinking, breaking away from the rigid assumptions of conventional regulatory economics. How?

Ease of Doing Business in the last 11 years has evolved from a simple reform checklist into a comprehensive governing philosophy. The real story, especially in the last year, goes far beyond improved rankings or isolated policy announcements.