UP, Jan 17 : Uttar Pradesh has strengthened its position as one of India’s most business friendly states, securing the top national ranking in the Deregulation 1.0 Compliance Reduction Exercise while rolling out Phase-II of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) reforms.
A Government of India task force led by Meeta Rajivlochan, Lead Member for Uttar Pradesh in the Task Force on Ease of Doing Business, visited Lucknow on Friday to review the state’s reform roadmap. She was accompanied by Rahul Sharma, Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat.
The delegation held a detailed meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary S.P. Goyal, along with Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of various departments, at the Chief Secretary’s Office. The discussions included an orientation session on Phase II of EoDB reforms, outlining the roadmap for next level deregulation and reduction of compliance burdens.
Later in the day, a key interaction on Compliance Reduction and Deregulation 2.0 was held at the Invest UP office with representatives of leading industry associations. The government sought structured, sector wise feedback and case studies from industry to identify remaining bottlenecks, strengthen on ground implementation, and ensure faster and smoother service delivery.
According to rankings released by the Cabinet Secretariat in January 2026, Uttar Pradesh ranked first in the country under the Deregulation 1.0 exercise. The state implemented reforms across 23 priority areas, focusing on eliminating redundant compliances, reducing inspection related hurdles, digitising investment services, and streamlining approval processes for businesses and MSMEs.
Building on this foundation, Phase-II reforms will target high-impact sectors including land, building and construction, power and electricity, labour, fire services, environment, tourism, healthcare and education.
Industry representatives appreciated recent reforms, particularly the progressive changes introduced under the Model Building and Construction Byelaws, 2025.
Uttar Pradesh has further reinforced its reform ecosystem through measures such as decriminalisation and deregulation under the Uttar Pradesh Sugamya Vyapar (Amendment in Provisions) Act, 2025, integration of departmental services with the Single Window System, and the upgradation of Nivesh Mitra to Nivesh Mitra 3.0, now linked with the National Single Window System.
These initiatives reaffirm the state’s commitment to a trust based, efficient and investor-centric business environment, positioning Uttar Pradesh among India’s most progressive and preferred investment destinations.