ICC Hosts IAS Biswaranjan Samal as Guest of the MonthFocus on Ease of Doing Business, Standards, and Consumer Welfare

Guwahati: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) welcomed Biswaranjan Samal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Public Distribution & Consumer Affairs Department, Government of Assam, as its distinguished “Guest of the Month” at a special session held at the NEDFi Conference Hall in Guwahati. Themed “Streamlining Standards and Enhancing Efficiency: Strengthening Food Security, Consumer Protection, and Ease of Doing Business in Assam,” the event brought together key stakeholders for high-level dialogue on regulatory advancement, standardization, and economic facilitation.

The program began with a welcome address by Atreyee Borooah Thekedath, Co-Chair of the ICC Assam State Council. In his keynote address, Shri Samal—an experienced bureaucrat from the 1992 batch of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre—shared insights into Assam’s transformative policy shifts and institutional frameworks that are redefining public service delivery and economic governance.

Samal outlined the comprehensive role of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in formulating Indian Standards across 16 sectors, managing hallmark and product certification, and conducting large-scale product testing. He highlighted outreach programs like ‘I-Care’ and the formation of over 10,000 Standards Clubs in schools and colleges, designed to instill a culture of quality and consumer awareness. BIS’s growing vigilance was evidenced by the testing of over 2.15 lakh product samples in FY 2023–24—an 18% increase over the previous year. He also drew attention to major regulatory developments such as the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety Order (2024) and the Electrical Appliances Quality Control Order (2024), both scheduled for rollout in late 2025.

Touching on Assam’s advances in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Samal cited the Assam Ease of Doing Business Act, 2016, and the state’s digital Single Window Clearance System, which now offers over 270 services across 23 departments. The system boasts a 98% disposal rate for applications. He credited reforms such as the Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Policy (2025), Poultry Commercialization Policy (2024), and the Electronics & Semiconductor Policy (2023) for promoting sectoral investments. Assam’s consistent performance in the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) rankings and its active Reducing Compliance Burden (RCB) measures—like automation, digitization, and decriminalization of minor infractions—have contributed to building a more conducive business environment.

He also highlighted key updates to the Assam Right to Public Services Act (2019, 2024), which has enabled transparent and timely delivery of services through digital platforms. Processes such as Labour Registration, Trade License issuance, and Legal Metrology applications have been fully digitized to eliminate bureaucratic delays.

On infrastructure development, Samal shared that ₹500 crore has been allocated for upgrading and modernizing industrial zones, particularly along highway corridors to enhance connectivity and logistics. He also noted the deployment of dedicated Relationship Managers to provide handholding support to investors in high-potential sectors, ensuring efficient implementation of industrial projects.

Concluding his address, Samal emphasized the importance of aligning regulatory standardization with administrative efficiency to create a competitive and investor-friendly industrial climate. The event underscored how strategic collaborations between government agencies and institutions like BIS are laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth in Assam. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A segment and a vote of thanks delivered by ICC representatives.