Puducherry government setting up Industry Facilitation Centre: Chief Secretary

Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan addressing the forum. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Puducherry government is in the process of establishing an Industry Facilitation Centre to further strengthen the single-window ecosystem in the Union Territory, Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan has said.Speaking at the Government of Puducherry-CII Joint Consultative Forum, the Chief Secretary said the Centre would further facilitate entrepreneurs in obtaining statutory approvals. The administration is taking conscious decisions to transition from a “regulation-heavy” regime to a trust-based governance framework that promotes enterprise while ensuring accountability, he said.“We are trying to minimise regulations as much as we can. There is no public sector, private sector, but only one sector where we are all working together towards achieving the country’s vision 2047. Our objective is to create a governance system where trust becomes the foundation, supported by technology and transparency,” a CII release quoting the Chief Secretary said.Listing out the steps taken by the government to improve the investment climate in Puducherry, the Chief Secretary said several transformative measures were taken, including automatic building plan approvals and occupancy certificates through empanelled third-party certifiers, thereby eliminating procedural delays while maintaining compliance through risk-based sample verification.Lauding CII for its support to the government in initiating reforms, Mr. Chauhan said continuous consultations with the industry over the past several months enabled the administration to implement progressive reforms across multiple departments, the release said.In his address, Secretary, Industries, A. Vikranth Raja, said the government was developing a simplified Puducherry Fire Prevention, Protection and Life Safety Code replacing the earlier National Building Code-based framework with a more practical and industry friendly document.The empanelment of third-party agencies would become a continuous process without fixed timelines, enabling greater competition, improved service delivery, and enhanced ease of compliance, he said.Chairman, CII, Puducherry M. Nadarajan in his address said the Consultative Forum has evolved into a unique institutional platform for structured and continuous engagement between the government and industry. “We are witnessing significant improvement in approval timelines, administrative responsiveness, and policy implementation, reflecting the government’s commitment to building a competitive investment ecosystem,” the release said.The CII also requested the government for measures to support tourism infrastructure, attract investments in the hospitality sector, industrial infrastructure development, MSME taxation, and promotion of clean mobility. Secretary to Local Administration, R. Kesavan, Member Secretary, Puducherry Pollution Control Committee N. Ramesh, and Superintendent Engineer and HOD, Electricity Department, G. Kaniyamuthan were present. Published - July 25, 2026 03:48 pm IST