Industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has proposed the creation of a GST-like National Industrial Land Council (NILC) to harmonise regulations, address disputes and streamline industrial land management across states.
The proposal is part of a report titled “CII Land Mission: Framework to Reform Industrial Land Management in India”, led by T. V. Narendran, managing director of Tata Steel and former CII president.
The suggested council, modelled on the Goods and Services Tax framework, would establish national benchmarks, oversee implementation and function as a dispute resolution body for land-related matters.
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A major recommendation in the report is the development of a unified, GIS-enabled National Industrial Land Bank that would offer real-time information on land availability, zoning, utilities, environmental constraints and title clarity. According to CII, this would enhance transparency and facilitate quicker investment decisions.
The report highlights significant variations in stamp duty and registration charges across states, which increase project costs and skew investment choices. It recommends a uniform, nationally guided stamp duty structure for industrial land to reduce transaction expenses and improve predictability.
Industrial land plays a crucial role in sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure, renewable energy and logistics. However, the current framework is characterised by fragmented processes, regulatory complexity, unclear land titles and delays in possession, all of which raise costs and hinder project execution.
To tackle these challenges, CII has proposed a fully integrated digital single-window system for land-related approvals. This platform would bring together multiple clearances, standardise documentation, enable real-time tracking and introduce service-level agreements, including deemed approvals for non-sensitive cases.
“The challenge in industrial land is not limited to acquisition, but extends to readiness and utilisation. Even after allotment, projects face hurdles due to possession issues, infrastructure gaps, unclear titles and prolonged downstream approvals,” Narendran said, stressing the need for comprehensive reforms.
CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee noted that India’s manufacturing push — including Make in India and industrial corridor projects — requires land systems that are transparent and ready for investment.
The report also recommends nationwide digitisation of land records, GIS-linked mapping and the introduction of title insurance for large industrial land parcels to reduce legal risks and improve access to financing.
On land acquisition, it suggests standardised social impact assessment templates, fast-track district-level cells and wider adoption of land pooling models, along with a public GIS-linked dispute registry.
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