Reliance Retail call for shift from store-based licensing to unified framework to boost ease of doing business

Reliance Retail President Ravi Gandhi on Wednesday said India’s retail sector needs regulatory reforms to keep pace with the growth of organised players, calling for a move away from store-based licensing towards a unified, entity-based framework.

Speaking at the MASSMERIZE 2025 event organised by industry body Ficci, Gandhi stressed that the current system of licensing each store individually creates unnecessary hurdles for businesses.

"Today, all the laws (related to the retail sector) in the country are designed for individual stores. All licenses are individual store-based," he said.


He argued that an entity-wide license would simplify compliance and improve the ease of doing business as large retail chains expand across the country.

Gandhi also pointed to the need for streamlining inspection requirements. At present, retailers face extensive documentation and pre-license inspections before opening a store.

Stating that such pre-approvals slow down expansion, Gandhi said shifting towards post-license inspections would help speed up store launches while still ensuring compliance.

With inputs from PTI