Five startups quietly making it easier to do business in India

India’s journey toward easier business operations has moved past mere policy changes. Although government programs like the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP), the National Single Window System (NSWS), and the Reducing Compliance Burden initiative have cut red tape, a fresh wave of startups is tackling day‑to‑day hurdles in hiring, payments, software rollout, and financing. Collectively, they are laying the digital groundwork that lets companies and MSMEs work quicker, smarter, and cheaper.

1. MiFiX.ai – Streamlining enterprise software deployment

Although policy reforms have eased compliance, many enterprises still need months to turn business needs into usable software. In banking and other regulated sectors, each new loan product, regulatory tweak, or process change typically triggers lengthy development timelines.

MiFiX.ai, created by New Street Technologies, bridges this gap with an AI‑driven, configuration‑first platform. Instead of swapping out legacy cores, it lets firms craft and launch enterprise apps, lending flows, operational workflows and compliance steps in days rather than months, all while preserving governance, audit trails and bank‑level security.

As firms shift from AI pilots to real‑world execution, solutions such as MiFiX.ai enable them to cut rollout times, boost productivity and curb overall software ownership expenses.

Ease of Doing Business impact: quicker enterprise rollout, shorter software deployment cycles, lower implementation spend, and streamlined compliance‑focused tech upgrades.

2. Apna – Enabling large‑scale hiring for businesses

Millions of MSMEs, retailers, logistics firms and BFSI players still view talent acquisition as a major growth obstacle. Apna has assembled one of India’s biggest job and professional networking hubs, linking employers with candidates via AI‑driven matching and skill‑focused communities.

The service speeds up hiring for employers while giving workers access to verified job openings, interview prep and networking tools. Boasting over 10 million users and more than 100 000 employers, Apna now serves as a key recruitment ally for companies in diverse industries.

Ease of Doing Business benefit: accelerated hiring, broader talent pool, and lower recruitment expenses for firms.

3. Razorpay – Smoothing financial workflows

Modern business goes far beyond simply taking payments; firms require unified banking, vendor disbursements, payroll, invoicing and working‑capital management.

Razorpay has grown from a basic payment gateway into an all‑in‑one financial suite, letting companies handle payments, business banking via RazorpayX, payroll automation and funding needs from one dashboard. By cutting operational complexity, it frees startups and SMEs to concentrate on expansion rather than bookkeeping.

Ease of Doing Business advantage: streamlined digital payments, automated finance tasks, and quicker access to business‑banking facilities.

4. Kiwi – Broadening formal‑credit access

Many young professionals and small enterprises still struggle to secure working capital. Kiwi closes that gap by merging UPI ease with credit‑card perks, allowing users to pay everyday UPI transactions via a credit line.

Present in over 580 cities, the platform encourages wider uptake of formal digital credit and makes borrowing simpler by leveraging familiar payment habits.

Ease of Doing Business payoff: easier formal‑credit access, improved cash‑flow flexibility, and broader use of digital financial tools.

5. Zoho – Unifying business operations on a single platform

As companies scale, juggling customer relations, finance, HR, teamwork and productivity across disparate apps grows ever more tangled.

Zoho has assembled one of India’s most extensive enterprise software suites, letting firms handle sales, accounting, HR, support, collaboration and operations from a unified cloud environment. For startups and SMEs especially, this cuts tech spend and lifts operational efficiency.

Ease of Doing Business gain: cost‑effective business software, smoother workflows, and heightened productivity across all departments.

The broader perspective

The forthcoming stage of easier business will rely less on policy tweaks alone and more on tech firms that erase everyday operational friction—be it talent acquisition, credit access, payment handling, software rollout or overall operations. Collectively, these platforms turn regulatory improvements into tangible business outcomes.