The 9th Meeting of the National Traders’ Welfare Board (NTWB) was held at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Shri Sunil J. Singhi.

The Chairperson welcomed Jan Vishwas Amendment and highlighted several important reforms and initiatives aimed at enhancing Ease of Doing Business:

• Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, 2026: The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts, including decriminalisation of 717 provisions, to reduce compliance burden and promote ease of doing business.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI): The licensing and registration process for food businesses has been simplified, making compliance easier, particularly for small traders.
• Rajasthan Trade Promotion Policy, 2025: E-commerce promotion is being supported through reimbursement of 75% of platform fees (excluding shipping charges), up to ₹50,000 per year for one year.
• Udyam Registration and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana: These initiatives are facilitating collateral-free loans to traders and small businesses, thereby promoting entrepreneurship and business expansion.

In the area of digital empowerment, a detailed presentation was made by the ONDC team on “DigiDukaan”, a B2B platform currently operational in Hyderabad, with plans for expansion to Jaipur and Bengaluru. The platform is aimed at empowering small retailers and kirana stores by enhancing their digital capabilities and market access.

It was further highlighted that, through extensive nationwide outreach and coordination with State Governments, Industry Departments, and trade associations, the need for establishing State-level Traders’ Welfare Boards has been effectively reinforced. A State Traders’ Welfare Board has already been constituted in West Bengal, while efforts are ongoing in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, and other States/UTs.

Through continuous coordination with various Ministries and Departments, the Board is ensuring time-bound and result-oriented resolution of representations received from traders and trade bodies across the country. The overarching goal remains to make trade easier, empower traders, and ensure participatory and inclusive economic development.

The meeting was attended by non-official Members representing various trade associations and States/UTs, along with ex-officio Members from nine Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.

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Abhishek Dayal/Shabbir Azad/Anushka Pandey

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