Saral Keralam to fast-track investment approvals; 19 laws to be amended

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state Cabinet has approved the ‘Saral Keralam’ scheme to provide faster approvals for investments. The government will amend 19 existing laws as part of the initiative, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan said after the Cabinet meeting.

Saral stands for Simplified and Accelerated Regulatory Approvals and Licenses. The scheme aims to introduce a “One State, One Approval, One Document” system for investments. A district-level committee will approve investments between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 crore, while investments above Rs 50 crore will be considered by a state-level committee.

The law will specify the time within which an investment proposal must be cleared. The powers of individual departments will not be taken away, but they will have to complete their inspections and submit reports within the stipulated period. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) will coordinate the process. There will also be an appeal mechanism for departments that raise objections to a proposal on the grounds that it does not meet their requirements.

Single authority for approvals

At present, starting a business in Kerala involves obtaining several approvals, including business registration, local body permits, building permits, clearances from the Factories and Boilers Department and various departments in the Secretariat, Pollution Control Board certificates and Labour Department approvals. Saral Keralam will function as a single authority to streamline these procedures. Offices will be set up at the state and district levels.

“There are investment proposals in the state that have been pending without approval for five to seven years. This is a step that will provide relief to such proposals,” Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan said.

Invest UP a model: K. Jayashankar

Uttar Pradesh’s single-window system is a model for attracting investments, said K. Jayashankar. The state has set up Invest UP as an agency to attract investors and facilitate investments. According to Jayashankar, the agency helps attract investors, provide quick approvals to industries, allot land and offer continued support. The system operates through three platforms. The Nivesh Mitra portal provides investors with various approvals, while the Nivesh Sarathi portal facilitates the signing of MoUs and allows them to be tracked digitally. The Udyamimitra portal provides continued support to investors and helps resolve their issues. The system also has teams comprising professionals from various sectors.

Projects worth Rs 12 lakh crore already started

Uttar Pradesh has received investment commitments worth Rs 50 lakh crore through global summits held since 2023. Of this, projects involving investments of Rs 12 lakh crore have already been started. Investments have mainly been attracted to renewable energy, semiconductor manufacturing, industrial parks, logistics and electric vehicle manufacturing. A chain of Japanese industrial establishments is also coming up on 500 acres in Noida, involving an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore.