Many agribusiness companies in the country are keen to adopt the required compliance changes following the implementation of four labour codes, and they want to align with regulations from day one, according to Munab Ali Beik, Head, Compliance Advisory, Core Integra (a regulatory technology company).
He said that many of these companies are startups that rely on investor funding, where obtaining a clean compliance record from auditors is critical before securing investments.
“Compliance audits, therefore, have become a key focus area, with strong emphasis on adherence to regulatory requirements. Additionally, the risk of penalties for non-compliance and potential business disruptions is driving agribusiness companies to proactively adopt compliance technology solutions,” he told businessline in an email interview.
Vital aspect
He said proactive compliance begins with identifying applicable licenses and registrations. Depending on the nature of the business, this may include multiple registrations, licences, no-objection certificates, approvals, exemptions, intimations, and other regulatory requirements.
Necessary display requirements must be maintained at operating locations as prescribed by regulations. Additionally, maintaining accurate records is a vital aspect of compliance for agribusiness companies and startups. This extends to timely remittances, returns, filings, and other statutory obligations, he said.
Asked about the challenges being faced by agribusiness startups when implementing compliance systems early in their lifecycle, he said agribusiness companies often fail to identify the applicable registrations and the appropriate authorities. Failure to obtain approvals from the relevant government bodies, submitting applications with errors, or filing applications with authorities that lack proper jurisdiction can significantly complicate business operations and compliance requirements.
Technology’s role
To a query on the role of compliance technology solutions in the effective management of regulatory requirements of agribusiness companies, Beik said Core Integra’s compliance technology tool, ‘Ctrl F’, is designed with location mapping to help agribusiness companies identify the appropriate authorities and applicable compliances through a simplified dashboard. It provides a comprehensive list of compliance requirements and presents them in an easy-to-understand format, enabling businesses to track compliance status, identify gaps, and address any missed obligations efficiently.
‘Ctrl F’ is an in-house tool designed and developed by Core Integra to support labour law and environmental compliance, with a strong focus on tracking regulatory changes. The platform is freely accessible, making it easy for users to stay up to date with relevant compliance information, he said.
State-wise requirements
Observing that location-based compliance requirements in India often create constraints for agribusiness operations, he said State governments and local authorities are empowered to regulate various aspects of agribusiness, which can add layers of complexity to expansion and operations.
Given the ‘law of the land’ principle, navigating differing state-wise regulations can make it challenging for agribusiness companies to scale seamlessly across regions.
In India, both the Central and State governments are empowered to regulate various aspects of business operations. State governments further delegate certain administrative and regulatory powers to local authorities. This delegation enables local bodies to frame bye-laws and regulations, which may vary from one location to another. As a result, understanding and implementing location-specific regulations becomes complex for agribusiness operators, he said.
Simplification suggested
Stressing the need to simplify regulatory frameworks for agri-business sector, he said while there have been amendments, modifications, and simplification efforts affecting agribusiness companies, these changes are not uniformly implemented across all states and locations. Nationwide reforms need to be consistently adopted across all States and Union Territories to simplify regulatory frameworks and support the growth of agribusiness.
Simplification combined with digitization can significantly improve transparency and accelerate the growth of agribusiness in India. These changes should be adopted by both Central and State governments to strengthen and modernize compliance governance, he said.
Stating that Core Integra supports fewer than 10 agri-business companies operating across multiple states in the country, he said it works with a diverse set of clients across the agribusiness value chain, including research, farming, exporting, seed processing, trading, procurement, marketing, and the supply of equipment, among other activities.
Published on April 23, 2026