‘Ease of Doing Business’ in India? Pune Shop Owner’s Wall of Licenses Tells a Different Tale
‘Ease of Doing Business’ in India? Pune Shop Owner’s Wall of Licenses Tells a Different Tale
A small flour mill nestled in a Pune locality unexpectedly came to symbolize the bureaucratic hurdles that small business owners encounter nationwide. A Pune-based chartered financial analyst (CFA), Niteen S Dharmawat, took to social media to share what he described as “the best example” of the ease of doing business in the country, highlighting the irony. His post, which has since gone viral, spotlights a local flour mill owner who had to obtain 16 different approvals before opening his shop.
Dharmawat on X (formerly Twitter) shows the interior wall of a modest flour mill. On it, 16 framed documents—comprising licenses, certificates, and official clearances—are displayed with care. Alongside them hangs a framed copy of the Constitution of India, symbolizing the owner’s deep respect for the law despite the overwhelming red tape.
This is the best example of ease of doing business in India.
— Niteen S Dharmawat, CFA (@niteen_india) April 15, 2025
This is a small flour mill (आटा चक्की) in the neighborhood. The owner is a hardworking man. He had to get 16 different permissions to start his shop. It took him considerable time to begin running a simple flour mill.… pic.twitter.com/kLkalURsB9
In his post, Dharmawat wrote:
“This is the best example of ease of doing business in India. This is a small flour mill in the neighborhood. The owner is a hardworking man. He had to get 16 different permissions to start his shop.”
He further elaborated that although the flour mill owner diligently followed every legal requirement, the process was far from smooth. The entrepreneur had to navigate a maze of procedures, spending a significant amount of time simply to begin operations.
Some of the essential licenses and registrations required:
FSSAI License: Mandatory for all units involved in food production to ensure compliance with food safety standards.
GST Registration: Required for businesses to operate under the Goods and Services Tax framework.
Udyog Aadhaar/MSME Registration: Necessary for availing benefits extended to micro and small enterprises.
Trade and Shop Licenses: Issued by local municipal authorities, this license permits commercial operations at a specific location.
“It took him considerable time to begin running a simple flour mill. He has framed all those permission papers and hung them on the wall in his shop. Right next to them, he has also framed a copy of the Constitution of India,” Dharmawat noted.
Concluding his post with a strong remark on the state of entrepreneurship in India, he said, “This has to change big time. Unfortunately, this hasn’t so far.”
According to the now-defunct World Bank’s Doing Business Report, the ease of doing business index measured how conducive a country’s regulations were to starting and operating a business. India ranked 63rd in the 2020 report, released before the index was discontinued.
