Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced at the World Bank Group's workshop on Business Ready (B-READY) framework that the government is developing Jan Vishwas Bill 3, which will expand beyond decriminalising minor offences to focus on procedural simplification and compliance reduction. According to reports from The Economic Times, Goyal stated that the next phase of reforms would aim to make business operations more comfortable through easier rules and less intimidating paperwork. The minister emphasized these steps are helping make laws more contemporary and relevant for 21st century India. As per The Times of India, Goyal explained that the new bill will go beyond decriminalising laws to look at simplification of processes and procedures, reducing compliance burden, reducing intimidating forms to make the life of businesses, better and more comfortable.
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 was successfully passed by Parliament on April 2, 2026, amending 784 provisions across 79 central laws to decriminalise and rationalise minor offences. As reported by The Economic Times, this legislation addressed more than 1,000 offences through the comprehensive changes. The first Jan Vishwas law was implemented in 2023, which decriminalised minor offences through amendments in 183 provisions of 42 Acts. According to The Times of India, this comprehensive reform has helped check harassment of people and improved the overall business environment.
Goyal highlighted the government's commitment to improving business infrastructure by announcing 100 new industrial parks planned under the Bhavya Scheme. According to The Economic Times, the minister emphasised the need to make the entry and exit of businesses easy through these industrial park developments. As reported by The Times of India, this expansion is designed to make both entry and exit of businesses easier, supporting the broader reform agenda and making laws more contemporary and relevant to India in the 21st century.
On trade policy, Goyal reported significant progress in India's free trade agreement strategy, stating that India has finalised nine free trade agreements in the last three-and-a-half years. As reported by The Economic Times, the minister expects at least another 6 or 7 more FTAs in the next two years, collectively covering 50 developed, rich and prosperous countries. He also revealed that he held talks with a minister from a nation with whom he was meeting for the first time, with plans to immediately study economic situations and prepare terms of reference for a joint economic and trade council meeting in July.
According to Goyal's social media post, he met with Gabriela Sommerfeld Rosero, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador on Wednesday evening to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties. As reported by The Economic Times, the meeting resulted in decisions to immediately study both countries' economic situations and prepare terms of reference for a joint economic and trade council meeting in July, where they hope to sign terms of reference for another Free Trade Agreement. The minister also held discussions with a minister of a country with whom he was meeting for the first time, with plans to study economic situations and prepare terms of reference for further trade cooperation.
