The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, convened the Chennai edition of the National Stakeholder Consultation Series on Ease of Doing Business under the Companies Act, 2013 on 6 May 2026 at Chennai. The consultation was organised at the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) as co-host and venue partner.

The consultation forms part of a pan-India stakeholder engagement initiative being undertaken by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs through IICA to facilitate broad-based consultations on rationalisation, simplification, and modernisation of corporate compliance frameworks under the Companies Act, 2013. The initiative aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and seeks to strengthen India’s next-generation regulatory architecture through technology-enabled, stakeholder-centric, and trust-based governance reforms.

Delivering the Keynote  Address, Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General & CEO, IICA, underlined the significance of moving towards intelligent, trust-based, and data-driven regulatory architecture under Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He noted that the evolving reform framework seeks to balance regulatory effectiveness with ease of compliance by promoting streamlined filing systems, event-based architecture, and stakeholder-centric digital governance mechanisms. He further emphasised the importance of participative consultations and institutional dialogue in designing reforms that are practical, scalable, and responsive to the needs of businesses, professionals, and regulators alike.

The Special Address by Shri Srikumar, Registrar of Companies, Tamil Nadu, Chennai and Anadaman and Nicobar Islands highlighted the importance of simplifying filing systems, strengthening digital governance, and improving ease of compliance through practical and stakeholder-driven reforms. He emphasised the need for efficient regulatory processes, seamless digital interfaces, and responsive compliance systems capable of supporting India’s evolving corporate and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The session also included remarks by Shri Mohan Kumar, Central Council Member, Institute of Company Secretaries of India, who highlighted the importance of collaborative institutional engagement in advancing practical compliance reforms and strengthening stakeholder participation in India’s corporate governance ecosystem. He emphasised the critical role of professionals and industry stakeholders in supporting responsive, technology-enabled, and efficient regulatory frameworks aligned with emerging business realities.

The consultation further featured a detailed presentation by Dr. Garima Dadhich, Head, School of Business Environment, IICA, on the proposed MCA Filing Architecture Reform framework. The presentation outlined key reform themes including form rationalisation, expansion of Straight Through Processing (STP), pre-filled digital interfaces, integrated compliance systems, interoperability with external regulatory databases, and the transition towards event-based filing architecture under MCA21 V3.

Structured stakeholder deliberations were subsequently conducted across three thematic sessions covering Entry & Incorporation; Annual & Ongoing Compliance; and Exit, Dormancy & Special Filings. Discussions during the sessions focused on reform areas including SPICe+ rationalisation, director KYC centralisation, AOC-4 and MGT-7 integration, annual business return frameworks, charge filing rationalisation, dormancy mechanisms, fast-track strike-off systems, restructuring workflows, and digitisation of adjudication and exit processes. Interactive Mentimeter-based polling exercises were also conducted to capture stakeholder feedback on priority reform areas and implementation considerations.

Participants deliberated extensively on opportunities to build a more efficient, interoperable, and trust-based corporate compliance ecosystem through intelligent digital systems, risk-based regulatory design, and simplified filing frameworks. Discussions also explored international best practices in digital corporate registries and their relevance for India’s evolving corporate governance ecosystem. Reference discussions during the consultation drew upon the MCA Filing Architecture Reform consultation framework and Mentimeter-based stakeholder engagement model prepared for the national consultation series.

The consultation concluded with an Open Floor Stakeholder Interaction moderated by Dr. Garima Dadhich, Ms Shivangi Vashishta and Ms Shubhangi Singh where participants shared additional recommendations, implementation concerns, operational challenges, and suggestions for future reform prioritisation.

The consultation witnessed participation from senior officials from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs including Ms. Lata Parimala Vandana, Joint Director (Regional Director, Southern Region office), regulatory institutions, professional bodies such as Sh. Ankur Yadav, Joint Secretary, ICSI, industry associations, corporates, startups, intermediaries, insolvency professionals, legal practitioners, and compliance experts such as Sh. Sudhakar Shukla, Former Whole-Time Member, IBBI, besides 150 plus participants.

Delivering the concluding Special Address, Prof. M.P. Ram Mohan, Professor, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Member, Advisory Group on Ease of Doing Business, highlighted the importance of balancing regulatory simplification with institutional accountability, evidentiary integrity, and legal certainty.

IICA also acknowledged the support of its co-hosting partners including ICSI, ICAI, ICMAI, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, MCCI, and TCC for facilitating broad-based stakeholder participation in the consultation process.

The consultation was coordinated by the School of Business Environment (SoBE), IICA, which serves as the Secretariat to the Advisory Group on Ease of Doing Business and continues to facilitate policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement, and institutional research on corporate governance and regulatory reforms in India

 

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