Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana

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Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana on Wednesday introduced the Tamil Nadu Business Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Assembly, proposing to cap the processing time for a range of business and regulatory clearances at 21 days.The Bill states that where “a Scheduled enactment or subordinate legislation” prescribes a timeline of more than 21 days—or does not specify any timeline—the period will be deemed to be reduced to 21 days.Public and local holidays will not be counted while calculating the 21-day period.The existing timelines will continue where a clearance is required to be issued within 21 days or less. Similarly, where a Central Act prescribes a period exceeding 21 days, the longer timeline under the Central law will prevail.The Bill also proposes the constitution of the Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Commission as a dedicated high-level body headed by the Chief Secretary. It will monitor large, strategic and high-impact investments, including proposed capital investments of ₹200 crore or more, generate employment for 5,000 or more people, oversee investments linked to Free Trade Agreements, and manage investments by persons of Tamil origin outside India, along with other investments notified by the Government, the Bill says.Published on September 2, 2026