New Delhi, August 15, 2026: NITI Aayog has released a new report examining India’s regulatory framework for professional services, highlighting opportunities to improve the sector’s competitiveness, exports and contribution to high-skilled employment.
The report, titled “India’s Services Sector: Insights on Regulatory Regime in Professional Services,” was launched by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri on August 10 at a meeting of the High-Powered Education to Employment and Enterprise Standing Committee. Senior government officials, industry representatives, state government officials and experts attended the launch.
The assessment compares India’s regulatory framework for professional services with selected international jurisdictions and draws on consultations with industry stakeholders. It identifies regulatory challenges and suggests areas where policy improvements could help the sector expand.
Professional services have become an important component of India’s services economy, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the country’s total services exports. The sector includes high-value, knowledge-intensive activities that support other industries, create skilled employment and contribute to foreign exchange earnings and remittances.
The report proposes a four-pronged approach to strengthen the sector. This includes using emerging trends and technologies to transform professional services, increasing their role within the broader services value chain, adopting international best practices and encouraging continuous professional development.
NITI Aayog noted that professional services could become an increasingly important source of high-skilled jobs, entrepreneurship and innovation as India moves towards its demographic peak. A more efficient regulatory environment could also support services exports, cross-border movement of professionals and ease of doing business.
The report is intended to serve as a basis for further policy discussions on the regulatory foundations of professional services. Strengthening this segment, according to the report, will be important for building a more competitive and future-ready services economy as India works towards its Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.
