Building consensus

Growth requires revisiting politically sensitive land reforms

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Land is one of the most critical and contested factors in India's push for growth in manufacturing. Acquisition is often slow and costly. The multiplicity of authorities, fragmented land records, inconsistent rates of stamp duty, and unclear titles cause delays and litigation risks, which deter investors. For companies, these bottlenecks translate into higher project costs and financing hurdles. In recent years, the government tried to address some of these issues through initiatives like the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), digital land records under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme, the Model Tenancy Act 2021 and Rera (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) frameworks, which aim to improve transparency and access. However, gaps still persist. The IILB, for instance, largely serves as an information portal rather than as a platform for actual allocation, and digitisation is still uneven across states.