**Executive Summary**
The Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS), Mumbai Zonal Unit, in collaboration with Mumbai Customs, conducted an outreach session on February 6, 2026, for officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) regarding the World Bank's Business Ready (B-READY) Initiative. India is currently being evaluated for the third B-READY report, scheduled for release in 2026. The session aimed to sensitize field formations about India's engagement with the B-READY assessment.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **B-READY Initiative Overview:**
* The World Bank's B-READY Initiative replaces the Ease of Doing Business reports.
* It adopts a business life-cycle approach to assess regulatory design and implementation effectiveness across approximately 190 economies.
* The focus is on digitization, gender inclusion, and sustainability.
* **Union Budget 2026 Reforms:**
* Structural reforms announced are "aimed towards a trust based tax administration".
* Reforms in Customs and GST are expected to significantly enhance India's business environment and its B-READY assessment performance.
* **Customs Measures:**
* Key budgetary measures include targeted duty exemptions for manufacturers and exporters.
* Removal of the ₹10 lakh value cap for e-commerce exports.
* Introduction of a simplified, risk-based framework for handling returns.
* Emphasis on digitised, faceless procedures and technology-driven clearance processes to improve supply chain efficiency and reduce transaction costs.
* **GST Measures:**
* Transition to GST 2.0, focusing on rate rationalisation, simplification of compliance procedures, enhanced system-based controls, and reduced compliance burden for businesses.
* Introduction of a fully digital interface for the GST Appellate Tribunal to expedite dispute resolution and improve transparency.
* **Programme Objective**
* The outreach session is part of a pan-India sensitisation exercise being undertaken by TPRU in collaboration with DGTS to apprise field formations of India's engagement with the B-READY assessment.
* Documenting best practices and engaging stakeholders to strengthen India's position in the global rankings.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)**
* **Impact:** Increased awareness of the World Bank's B-READY Initiative, the methodology used for assessing regulatory design and implementation effectiveness, and the reforms in Customs and GST.
* **Action Required:** Understanding and implementing the new reforms and providing feedback to TPRU and DGTS.
**Stakeholder: Tax Policy and Research Unit (TPRU), Department of Revenue**
* **Impact:** TPRU is responsible for conducting outreach sessions and sensitizing field formations regarding India's engagement with the B-READY assessment.
* **Action Required:** Undertaking sensitisation exercise to disseminate information regarding India's engagement with B-READY assessment.
**Stakeholder: Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS)**
* **Impact:** DGTS, in collaboration with Mumbai Customs, is responsible for organizing outreach programs. They have conducted over 45 such programs across the country since April 2025.
* **Action Required:** To reinforce the role as a facilitative and service-oriented directorate.
Key Entities Referenced
World Bank's Business Ready (B-READY) Initiative: A World Bank initiative to assess the business environment and regulatory design across economies.
Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS): An Indian government directorate organizing outreach sessions to promote awareness of the B-READY initiative.
Tax Policy and Research Unit (TPRU): Unit within the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, responsible for tax policy and research, conducting the outreach program jointly with DGTS.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC): A government board whose officers participated in the outreach session on the World Bank's B-READY initiative.
Ministry of Finance: Indian government ministry overseeing the TPRU, which is conducting the outreach program jointly with DGTS.
Ministry of Finance
DGTS Organises Outreach Programme on World
Bank’s Business Ready (B-READY) Initiative in
Mumbai
Posted On: 06 FEB 2026 5:28PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 06 February 2026
The Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS), Mumbai Zonal Unit, in
collaboration with Mumbai Customs, organised an outreach session today for
officers of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on the World
Bank’s Business Ready (B-READY) Initiative. The programme was conducted jointly
with the Tax Policy and Research Unit (TPRU), Department of Revenue, and
witnessed active participation from officers of Mumbai Customs.
The session commenced with a welcome address by Principal Additional Director
General, DGTS (Mumbai Zonal Unit), Shri Sumit Kumar. He highlighted that the
structural reforms announced in the Union Budget 2026 are "aimed towards a trust
based tax administration”.
He noted that reforms in Customs and GST are expected to significantly enhance
India’s business environment and positively influence its performance under the B-
READY assessment.Shri Sumit Kumar also elaborated on key budgetary measures in the Customs
domain, including targeted duty exemptions for manufacturers and exporters,
removal of the ₹10 lakh value cap for e-commerce exports, and the introduction of
a simplified, risk-based framework for handling returns in the customs domain. He
also underscored the emphasis on digitised, faceless procedures and technology-
driven clearance processes designed to improve supply chain efficiency and reduce
transaction costs.
On the GST front, the Budget heralds the transition to GST 2.0, focusing on rate
rationalisation, simplification of compliance procedures, enhanced system-based
controls, and reduced compliance burden for businesses.
A notable reform discussed was the introduction of a fully digital interface for the
GST Appellate Tribunal, expected to expedite dispute resolution and improve
transparency.
Joint Commissioner, TPRU, Ministry of Finance, Shri Abhishek Tripathy addressed the
gathering and explained the objectives and methodology of the B-READY
framework. He stated that the initiative replaces the earlier Ease of Doing Business
reports and adopts a business life-cycle approach to assess regulatory design and
implementation effectiveness across approximately 190 economies. India is
currently being evaluated for the third B-READY report, scheduled for release in
2026.
Deputy Commissioner, TPRU, Ministry of Finance, Ms. Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia
further elaborated on the framework’s emphasis on digitisation, gender inclusion,
and sustainability. She highlighted the importance of documenting best practices
and engaging stakeholders to strengthen India’s position in the global rankings.
The outreach session forms part of a pan-India sensitisation exercise being
undertaken by TPRU in collaboration with DGTS to apprise field formations of India’s
engagement with the B-READY assessment. Since April 2025, DGTS has conducted
over 45 outreach programmes across the country, reinforcing its role as a facilitative
and service-oriented directorate.The programme was organised under the guidance of senior officers of DGTS
Mumbai Zonal Unit and aligns with the Government of India’s vision of creating a
transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory environment for businesses.
***
Yash Rane/Parshuram Kor
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