Delhi scores poorly on key World Bank business parameters. Here's what govt plans

Delhi, being the heart and capital of the nation, brims with urban expectation. Yet, the Delhi government, in a review meeting, found that the capital has lagged behind in performance against parameters listed by the World Bank’s Business Ready (B-Ready) assessment, reported Times of India (TOI).This has highlighted a contrast between Delhi’s image of becoming a prominent economic centre for India, and the lack of factors that promise ease of business that its citizens are entitled to.These include services such as property records and registration, construction approvals and even basic water-quality monitoring.While several government services have moved online, the digital push has not fully translated into a swift delivery of basic civic and business-related services. WHAT IS THE B-READY ASSESSMENTThe World Bank’s Business Ready (B-READY) assessment evaluates how conducive an economy’s business environment is to promote activity and investment in the private sector.The assessment aims to check whether businesses can access basic government services and how well these services work. For assessing this, it relies on three key parameters – rules, public services and how efficiently they are delivered. The recent 2025 edition covered 101 economies, and scores each of the three pillars from 0 to 100.These parameters cover areas such as starting a business, getting construction permits, accessing utilities, paying taxes, getting finance, trading across borders and resolving disputes. Countries, therefore, use the assessment findings to identify which area specifically needs improvement.HOW DELHI GOVT FAIRS AGAINST WORLD BANK METRICESIn the review meeting chaired by the chief secretary, the officials found that Delhi currently meets zero to partial scores on the World Bank’s assessment.One of the biggest concerns in facilitating the ease of doing business in the capital is its fragmented land-record system, as per the report.The details related to land ownership, mutation, registration and property tax are spread across multiple departments and agencies, said TOI. This, in return, has made it difficult to access all property-related information through a single platform.The review also found out that many old land and lease records held by DDA, MCD and NDMC are yet to be digitised. Adding to the challenge, properties in the city do not have a unique identification number, which further complicates the digitisation process.Some of the services which are added to the online platform, such as property registration, are also only partially digital. Given that the government has promoted an online registration system, some stages ranging from deed execution to signing, still require in-person processing.With the government’s focus on leveraging skilled human capital and turning Delhi into a global business and innovation hub, what matters now is what measures it takes to tackle the widely ranging problems.WAY AHEAD FOR DELHI GOVTThe review meeting has led the government to ask the concerned departments to identify gaps in their functioning and chalk out a plan to address them. As a result, the officials have been asked to prioritise reforms that can be completed within two months, with a focus on ensuring visible change on the ground.To solve issues around land records, the government plans to create a ‘Delhi Land Stack’. The initiative is expected to compile land records and other property-related information currently held by different sources and agencies.Hence, the agencies have also been asked to speed up digitisation and integrate these records into a larger land-information system, latest by August 2026.The Delhi government has also considered using geo-referencing and drone surveys to identify properties. The exercise is expected to begin in Rohini and Dwarka, with the aim of digitally mapping properties and linking them to their respective locations.Following the review, the revenue department has also been asked to transition to a completely paperless and faceless property registration process, reported TOI.On the other hand, water-quality monitoring was another area discussed during the review. After careful deliberation, the officials have called for an independent regulatory mechanism to strengthen the city’s existing monitoring standards.For the construction-related reforms, officials discussed possible incentives to encourage sustainable buildings.While the MCD has proposed measures linked to floor area ratio, departments have been asked to explore other options, including property tax rebates and environmental incentives.The government also reviewed the proposal for the urbanisation of 48 villages in Delhi. It has directed the urban development and revenue departments to move the relevant files for the Lieutenant Governor’ consideration.- EndsPublished By: Radhika VermaPublished On: Aug 11, 2026 12:29 IST