New Delhi [India], April 19 : The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has proposed a comprehensive framework to reform industrial land governance in India, including the creation of a "GST-like" National Industrial Land Council (NILC), according to its Land Mission report on land acquisition and allotment, released on Saturday.
At the core of CII's proposal is centralising decision-making and standard-setting under NILC, housed in a Central Ministry such as DPIIT, while states implement through nominated State Land Authorities (SLAs). "NILC sits under a Central Ministry to apply standard processes across the country... along with binding issues, nationally harmonised rules. States could implement... but must follow NILC frameworks," the report said.
CII flagged multiple pain points across the land lifecycle. Land search suffers from "inaccurate or outdated land banks; lack of real-time GIS data, limited information on utilities, zoning and encumbrances." Applications face "multiple departmental touchpoints; fragmented digital portals; absence of standard timelines." Allotments see "delayed possession even after allotment; zoning mismatches discovered late, lack of pricing transparency." Change in Land Use approvals take 6-18 months, while land acquisition under current laws can stretch 18-36 months due to "multi-stage statutory processes" and compensation disputes.
Post-allocation, "non-operational units holding land speculatively" and "missing utilities delaying project construction" persist due to weak monitoring. Institutionally, State Industrial Development Corporations are "understaffed, limited technical capacity; lack of a single accountable land authority."
To fix land search, CII recommends a "unified GIS-based national industrial land bank, standardised data fields with weekly updates, pre-certified 'industrial-ready' parcels." For applications, it wants a "composite digital application through a single-window platform, assign case-owner-based resolution system, deemed approvals for non-sensitive clearances."
On allotment, the report seeks "time-bound handover within 15 days under defined SLAs; real-time land bank updates and geotagging; pre-disclosed FAR, buffer norms and pricing formula." For CLU, it suggests exemptions within industrial corridors, uniform Development Control Regulations, and "API-based digital approvals... pre-cleared industrial clusters with 'as-of-right' industrial use."
For acquisition, CII proposed standardised SIA templates with a six-month outer limit, fast-track district cells, land pooling models, and a "public GIS-linked dispute registry." Physical possession would get "SLA-led joint possession protocols; mandatory boundary marking before handover, 72-hour dispute intervention cells."
Under the proposed model, NILC would set national procedures, SLA/timeline mandates, uniform stamp duty guidance, and model leases, acting as a dispute arbitrator. A Central Secretariat would run a national IT platform and coordinate central agencies. Each state's SLA would be the "single body" for implementation, running the state's single window and estate operations. A Fast-Track Tribunal/National Land Dispute Panel would handle high-value disputes, with a target to dispose of cases in six months.
For post-allotment, CII suggests "two-tier utilisation norms, 12 months for plug-and-play, 24-36 months for greenfield" with reversion and reallocation rules for unused plots. E-registration and e-stamping must be completed within seven working days of payment, and possession must be handed over within 15 days.
CII noted that only a central, empowered body like NILC can end institutional fragmentation and create a central IT backbone for land governance, making industrial land transparent, predictable, and time-bound.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor