Delhi Scores Poorly on World Bank Business Parameters, Govt Plans Reforms

The Delhi government has identified several gaps in the capital's performance against parameters used in the World Bank's Business Ready (B-READY) assessment, prompting departments to accelerate reforms in land records, property registration, construction approvals and civic services. A review meeting chaired by the Delhi Chief Secretary found that the city currently records zero to partial scores across several assessment areas. The findings have highlighted concerns over fragmented systems and delays despite the growing digitisation of government services.

The World Bank's B-READY assessment evaluates how conducive an economy's business environment is to private-sector activity and investment. It examines three broad pillars — regulatory frameworks, public services and the efficiency with which those services are delivered. The 2025 assessment covered 101 economies and evaluated areas including business registration, construction permits, utilities, taxation, access to finance, international trade and dispute resolution.

One of the key concerns identified in Delhi is the fragmented nature of its land-record system. Information related to ownership, mutation, registration and property tax is currently maintained across multiple departments and agencies, making it difficult to access property information through a single platform. Several older land and lease records held by the Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and New Delhi Municipal Council are also yet to be fully digitised. The absence of unique identification numbers for properties has further complicated the process.

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The review also found that some services promoted as digital remain only partially online. Property registration, for instance, still involves physical steps at certain stages, including deed execution and signing. To address these problems, the government has asked departments to identify gaps and prepare action plans, with priority given to reforms that can be completed within two months. The authorities are also seeking visible improvements in the delivery of basic business and civic services.

Among the proposed measures is the creation of a 'Delhi Land Stack', which would bring together land records and property-related information maintained by different agencies. Departments have been directed to accelerate digitisation and integrate the records into a broader land-information system by August 2026. The government is also considering geo-referencing and drone surveys to digitally map properties, with the exercise expected to begin in Rohini and Dwarka. The revenue department has additionally been asked to move towards a completely paperless and faceless property registration system.

Water-quality monitoring and construction-related reforms were also discussed during the review. Officials called for an independent regulatory mechanism to strengthen existing water-monitoring standards, while departments explored incentives for sustainable construction. The MCD has proposed measures linked to floor area ratio, while other possibilities include property tax rebates and environmental incentives. The government also reviewed the proposed urbanisation of 48 villages and directed the urban development and revenue departments to move the relevant files for the Lieutenant Governor's consideration.

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