Night Shifts For Women, 24x7 Shops, Relaxed Layoff Rules: Delhi Rolls Out Major Business Reforms

News18

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The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
The Delhi government has directed the Labour Department to introduce provisions allowing women to work night shifts — but strictly with their consent, officials at Raj Niwas said on Tuesday. The move is part of a wider set of sweeping reforms aimed at improving Delhi's ease of doing business climate and removing bureaucratic hurdles that have stifled economic growth.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, where the leadership jointly reviewed the progress of key governance initiatives like 'Ease of Doing Business' and 'Maximum Governance, Minimum Government', both aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision.
Observing that outdated laws and cumbersome processes had long hindered business operations in Delhi, Saxena stressed that the progress made over the past 11 years has been 'far from satisfactory." Echoing this, Chief Minister Gupta noted that the difficulty of doing business in Delhi had led many industries and enterprises to shift operations to other states, costing Delhi significant economic activity.
In response, a set of comprehensive directives was issued. Key among them was the order to the Labour Department to amend the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act and issue notifications under the Factories Act, enabling women to work night shifts with their explicit consent while ensuring robust safety measures are in place.
Additionally, the government instructed that the threshold for the minimum number of employees for the applicability of the Shops and Establishments Act be increased from one to 10, allowing more small businesses to operate with greater flexibility. Provisions were also approved to permit 24×7 operations for shops and establishments in the capital.
Further, the threshold for mandatory permission to close businesses under the Industrial Dispute Act will be raised from 100 to 200 workers, easing the compliance burden on industries.
As part of fire safety reforms, the Delhi Fire Department has been directed to empanel third-party agencies for audits. Large commercial and industrial establishments will be allowed to obtain NOCs (No Objection Certificates) based on certificates from these empanelled agencies, while smaller establishments will have the option to opt for a third-party audit.
In environmental regulations, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been instructed to expedite its processes. The time limit for issuing operational consent will be reduced to 20 days, after which the approval will be deemed granted. The DPCC has also been directed to allow self-certification for MSMEs in green and white categories and to empanel third-party agencies for this certification.
Land governance also came under scrutiny. Several restrictive provisions of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, especially Sections 81 and 33, were flagged for causing serious hardships to farmers by making land transfers, sales, and mutations practically impossible. The Revenue Department has been tasked with reviewing these sections and recommending necessary amendments.
To streamline approvals, the Information Technology Department was directed to develop a single-window portal that will handle all types of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) required for businesses.
The Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister emphasized that the implementation of these reforms would be monitored closely, with regular reviews. All departments have been instructed to complete the execution of these directives within six months.
First Published:
July 02, 2025, 07:36 IST