Govt must bite the bullet on land reforms to ease manufacturing growth

How to make land available quickly and cheaply for development, without alienating landowners or eroding their rights, remains a point of contention

Land is one of the most critical and contested factors in India’s push for growth in manufacturing. Acquisition is often slow and costly. The multiplicity of authorities, fragmented land records, inconsistent rates of stamp duty, and unclear titles cause delays and litigation risks, which deter investors. For companies, these bottlenecks translate into higher project costs and financing hurdles. In recent years, the government tried to address some of these issues through initiatives like the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), digital land records under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme, the Model Tenancy Act 2021 and Rera (Real Estate Regulatory