In force since 17 Jun 2015 State Act + Rules ManufacturingProcessing Services the state notifies

TG-iPASS

Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System · TS-iPASS until the Telangana Laws (Change of Acronyms) Act, 2024

Instrument
Act No. 3 of 2014 · TS-iPASS Rules, 2015 1 2
Issued by
Industries & Commerce Dept., Govt. of Telangana
Reviewed
27 Sep 2026

Intent

Speed up the licences and clearances needed to set up industrial undertakings, through single-point clearance.

Source 1 long title

Mechanism

  1. 1 Apply once One combined application goes to a nodal agency. 1 s.8
  2. 2 Self-certify The applicant promises to comply with every applicable law. 1 s.11
  3. 3 Deadline runs 30 days by default. 15 days for mega-project provisional approval. 1 s.12 2 r.9 5
  4. 4 Missed deadline Deemed approval for notified state clearances, and a capped fine on the officer. 1 s.13 2 r.10 2 r.17
Establishment approvals on time
89%
59,075 of 66,654 CFE approvals
Apr 2016 – 27 Sep 2026 Derived Statistic 7
Operation approvals on time
48%
11,932 of 25,076 CFO approvals
Apr 2016 – 27 Sep 2026 Derived Statistic 7
DPIIT ease-of-business standing
Aspirers
  1. #1 tied 2016
  2. #2 17-18
  3. Top 2020
  4. Aspirer 2022
  5. Aspirer 2024
Lowest of four tiers, 2022 and 2024
BRAP 2024 Source Statistic 13 14 15 16 17
Investment proposed
Rs. 2.6 lakh cr
Proposed at approval, not money spent
22,776 units approved, 2014–23
2014–23 Source Official claim 8

Signals

The questions readers ask, answered in 25 words or fewer. Open "Why" for the reasoning.

  1. Key signal · Finding Source Instrument

    If a department misses its deadline, does the project have to wait?

    Not for state clearances

    A complete application for a notified state clearance is deemed approved once the deadline passes. The certificate binds every department.

    Why

    Section 13 allows deemed approval for clearances the government notifies. Rule 10 applies it to pending, complete applications and makes the certificate "binding on all concerned department". No count of deemed approvals issued is published.

    1 s.13 2 r.10 LegalInvestor Provisions →
  2. Caution Derived Instrument

    Do pollution consents and factory licences get deemed approval?

    Unclear

    The Act excludes clearances under central laws, such as Water and Air Act consents. The Rules still set deadlines and apply deemed approval to them.

    Why

    Section 25 removes sections 13–20, including deemed approval and officer penalties, for "clearances required under Central enactments". Annexure VI of the Rules sets 7–21 day limits for pollution consents and 7 days for factory licences, and Rule 10 applies deemed approval to everything in it. A rule cannot override its parent Act.

    1 s.25 2 r.10 5 Annexure VI LegalInvestor Provisions →
  3. Finding Derived Statistic

    Are the deadlines met in practice?

    Not at operation

    Since April 2016, 89% of approvals to establish met the deadline. Only 48% of approvals to operate did, the last step before production.

    Why

    The state's live dashboard counts approvals to establish (CFE): 59,075 of 66,654 on time. For approvals to operate (CFO), it is 11,932 of 25,076. Of 1,582 CFO applications still pending, 1,516 (96%) are already past the deadline.

    7 PolicyResearchInvestor Evidence →
  4. Caution Derived Press

    Does "Rs. 2.6 lakh crore attracted" mean money actually spent?

    No, it is proposed

    The state counts investment proposed at approval. By May 2023, units in operation accounted for 59% of the proposed total.

    Why

    The state's FY2023-24 table heads the column "Proposed investment" and lists operating units separately. The 59% figure is state data as reported by the Pioneer.

    8 9 Table 5.1 12 ResearchInvestor Evidence →
  5. Finding Source Statistic

    Is Telangana still a top state for ease of doing business?

    No, lowest tier

    It tied for first in 2016. In DPIIT's 2022 and 2024 assessments it sits in "Aspirers", the lowest of four tiers.

    Why

    DPIIT switched from ranks to tiers in 2020, when Telangana was a Top Achiever. In 2024 it was still top-tier in 4 of roughly nine reform areas, including Business Entry. BRAP scores the whole business environment, not TS-iPASS alone.

    13 15 16 17 18 PolicyInvestor Trajectory →
  6. Finding Source Instrument

    What does self-certification make the applicant answerable for?

    Full compliance

    The applicant undertakes to comply with every applicable law. A breach brings a fine and an order to fix the defect.

    Why

    The self-certification is accepted in place of a check before approval. It does not remove the duty to comply. Since 2017, a central system has picked sites for inspection by risk, covering Labour, Factories, Boilers and the Pollution Control Board.

    1 s.11 1 s.19 2 r.18 4 LegalInvestor Provisions →
  7. Open Source Official claim

    What could change the rules next?

    One platform

    BuildNow now joins building and industrial permits on one platform.

    Why

    Rules amendments in Oct 2024 and Feb 2025 added services under DPIIT's 2024 reform plan and required public approval-time dashboards. Neither changed the deemed-approval or penalty rules.

    6 11 p.337 Watch →

Provisions

Source
Right to clearances
The applicant can demand reasons for a delay, which can trigger penalties on the officers responsible. 1 s.20
Deadlines
30 days at the district and state committees. Mega projects (over Rs. 200 cr or 1,000 jobs) get provisional approval within 15 days. Per-clearance limits sit in Annexure VI. 1 s.7(3) 1 s.12 2 r.9 5
Deemed approval
Applies to notified clearances when the application was complete. The certificate binds all departments. 1 s.13 1 s.14 2 r.10
Central-law clearances Unclear
The Act carves them out of deemed approval and penalties. The Rules still list them with deadlines. 1 s.25 5
Officer penalty
Rs. 1,000 a day once a delay goes unexplained 5 days after a request. Capped at Rs. 25,000 per case. 2 r.17 3
Self-certification
The applicant undertakes to comply. A breach brings a fine plus an order to rectify. 1 s.11 1 s.19
Review
District decisions escalate to the state committee. State decisions escalate to the government. 1 s.15 1 s.16
Override
Prevails over inconsistent state law only. 1 s.22

Who it affects

  • Applicants Duty + benefit Carry the compliance promise. Gain fixed deadlines. 1 s.11 1 s.12
  • Service businesses Benefit Eligible when investing Rs. 50 cr or more. 3
  • Department officers Duty Must meet deadlines. Personal fines for unexplained delay. 1 s.20 2 r.17
  • Central-law regulators Unclear Pollution and factory clearances sit between the Act and the Rules. 1 s.25 5
Who gets approved vs. where the money is Manufacturing approvals to 28 Feb 2025
Units
Investment
Employment

Micro units are two-thirds of approvals and under 2% of investment. Mega projects are 1% of units and over half of investment.

10 Fig 5.6

Evidence

What the record shows, with its basis and date. State figures are labelled as state-reported.

Approvals inside the deadline Apr 2016 – 27 Sep 2026
Establish · approved 66,654
Establish · pending 5,261
Operate · approved 25,076
Operate · pending 1,582

Establishment approvals mostly land on time. Operation approvals, the last step before production, mostly do not.

7
Measure Value As of Grounding and sources
Units approvedState-reported, approvals 22,776 2014–23 Source Official claim 8
Investment proposedState-reported, proposed Rs. 2,60,121 cr 2014–23 Source Official claim 8
Employment proposedState-reported, projected 17,55,319 2014–23 Source Official claim 8
Operating units’ share of proposed investmentState data via news 59% 11 May 2023 Derived Press 12
Grievances answeredState dashboard, live 794 of 1,919 Nov 2020 – 27 Sep 2026 Source Statistic 7
Users say stated timelines were metDPIIT field survey, 21-working-day timelines "Approvals often took longer" FY2024 Source Statistic 18

Data warnings

  • The grievance dashboard reports a maximum response time (126) below its median (127), with no unit given. Its timing figures are left out. 7

Gaps in the record

  • No study measures how much growth TS-iPASS itself caused. The one academic survey found is non-causal. 23
  • No CAG audit covers it.
  • No published count of deemed approvals issued or penalties levied.

Watch

Confirmed, announced and expected changes are kept apart. Forecasts are not facts.

  • Confirmed BuildNow integration with TG-iPASS BuildNow launched 20 Mar 2025 11 p.337
  • Confirmed Services from DPIIT’s 2024 reform plan added to the Rules 15 Oct 2024 · 10 Feb 2025 6

Connections

  • Implements DPIIT Business Reform Action Plan Recognised as the state’s delivery-guarantee law for BRAP services. 5 6
  • Sibling TG-bPASS (Act 12 of 2020) The same self-certification model, for building permits. 20
  • Integrated with National Single Window System Central approvals reached through the state portal. 21
  • Integrated with BuildNow Building and industrial permits on one platform. 11 p.337
  • Vision Telangana Rising 2047 The vision document makes a generic single-window and automation commitment for the state. It does not name TS-iPASS in its body. 19 pp.70, 148
  • Mentioned in ICT Policy 2021-26 Mentions TS-iPASS once, in a worked example. 22

Trajectory

Dates are shown only as precisely as the source gives them.

  1. 1 4 Dec 2014 Act published 1
  2. 2 17 Jun 2015 Act in force; Rules notified 2
  3. 3 23 Dec 2015 Rule 17A: officer penalty procedure 3
  4. 4 Late 2016 Tied #1 in BRAP 2016 13
  5. 5 20 Jul 2017 Central Inspection System 4
  6. 6 2018 #2 in BRAP 2017-18 14
  7. 7 4 Nov 2020 Deadlines consolidated; delivery-guarantee law 5
  8. 8 30 Jun 2022 BRAP 2020: Top Achiever 15
  9. 9 21 Aug 2024 Renamed TG-iPASS 6
  10. 10 By 5 Sep 2024 BRAP 2022: Aspirers 16
  11. 11 10 Feb 2025 Public approval-time dashboards required 6
  12. 12 20 Mar 2025 BuildNow launched 11 p.337
  13. 13 After Apr 2025 BRAP 2024: Aspirers 17

Sources

Source Derived Interpretation
  1. primary TS-iPASS Act, 2014 (Act No. 3 of 2014) Telangana Legislature, via Indian Kanoon · 4 Dec 2014 · Not verified against the Gazette.
  2. primary G.O.Ms.No.36: TS-iPASS Rules, 2015 Industries & Commerce Dept. · 17 Jun 2015
  3. primary G.O.Ms.No.92: Rules amendment (Rule 17A, service activities) Industries & Commerce Dept. · 23 Dec 2015
  4. primary G.O.Ms.No.45: Central Inspection System Industries & Commerce Dept. · 20 Jul 2017
  5. primary G.O.Ms.No.18: consolidated Annexure VI timelines Industries & Commerce Dept. · 4 Nov 2020
  6. primary G.O.Ms.No.20 and G.O.Ms.No.4: TG-iPASS Rules amendments Industries & Commerce Dept. · 15 Oct 2024 · 10 Feb 2025
  7. dataset TG-iPASS CFE/CFO and grievance dashboards TG-iPASS portal · Read 27 Sep 2026 · Live; figures change daily.
  8. primary Industrial Growth Report 2014-23 Govt. of Telangana · Jun 2023
  9. primary Socio Economic Outlook 2024 Planning Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Jul 2024
  10. primary Socio Economic Outlook 2025 Planning Dept., Govt. of Telangana · Mar 2025
  11. primary Socio Economic Outlook 2026 Planning Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2026
  12. secondary "TS-IPass attracts investment worth Rs 2,610 billion" The Pioneer · 30 May 2023
  13. primary Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms 2016 DIPP · 2016
  14. dataset Detailed calculation of BRAP 2017-18 scores DPIIT · 2018
  15. primary BRAP 2020 assessment of States/UTs declared PIB · 30 Jun 2022
  16. primary State/UT categories in BRAP 2022 DPIIT
  17. primary State-wise result of BRAP 2024 DPIIT
  18. primary BRAP 2024 Feedback Survey Report, Telangana section DPIIT
  19. primary Telangana Rising 2047 vision document Govt. of Telangana · 2026
  20. primary TS-bPASS Act, 2020 (Act 12 of 2020) Telangana Legislature, via Indian Kanoon · 19 Sep 2020
  21. primary TS-iPASS and NSWS integration note TG-iPASS portal
  22. primary Telangana ICT Policy 2021-26 ITE&C Dept., Govt. of Telangana · 2021 · Removed from the live site; read via the Wayback Machine.
  23. secondary Dhanpal, "To What Extent Did the Telangana Industrial Policy Contribute to Industrialization in Karimnagar District", IJSR 13(6) IJSR · Jun 2024

Signals and summaries are written by Social Systems Lab from the sources above. They describe the law and the public record, not legal advice.