Arundhati Bhattacharya: India's micro-regulations stifle innovation and growth
Synopsis
Arundhati Bhattacharya, one of India's most prominent corporate voices, used the JGU regulatory governance report launch to deliver a pointed critique: India's regulators are too granular, too slow, and too focused on enactment over execution — at precisely the moment the country needs bold, innovation-friendly governance to hit its growth targets.
Key Takeaways
Arundhati Bhattacharya , CEO of Salesforce South Asia and ex- SBI Chairman, called India's regulations
Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson & CEO of Salesforce South Asia and former Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI), on 28 April called out India's regulatory framework for becoming excessively granular, arguing that the country needs an ecosystem that rewards innovation and tolerates failure as a stepping stone to growth. She was speaking at the release of the inaugural 2026 Report on Regulatory Governance: The Scope, organised by the Centre for Regulatory Governance (CRG) at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) in Mumbai.
Key Concerns Raised by Bhattacharya
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the JGU Report on Regulatory Governance 2026?
It is the inaugural scoping report released by the Centre for Regulatory Governance at O.P. Jindal Global University, providing a rigorous, multi-sector analysis of India's regulatory landscape. The report aims to catalyse debate and reforms toward a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
What did Arundhati Bhattacharya say about Indian regulators?
She said regulations in India have become excessively micro in nature and that overregulation masks weak enforcement. She called for an ecosystem that rewards innovation and allows businesses to scale fast, fail fast, and try again.
What is the Regulatory Effectiveness Index?
It is a planned annual measurement framework to be developed by Jindal Global Law School's Centre for Regulatory Governance, designed to assess how effectively India's key regulators function, with cross-country comparisons.
What did IRDAI Chairman Ajay Seth say about regulation?
Ajay Seth said the path forward lies in deregulation and better regulations guided by far-sighted principles, while acknowledging the challenge of balancing efficiency, stability, and distribution.
Why is regulatory reform urgent for India now?
India is projecting GDP growth of over 8% in the last quarter of 2025, and initiatives like Digital India are accelerating market demands. Experts argue that without responsive, innovation-enabling regulation, India cannot realise its full growth potential.
