CFOs see compliance burden rising, search readability on ESG and tax legal guidelines, ETCFO
India Inc Chief Monetary Officers (CFOs) don’t see the compliance burden easing, actually heightened in 2025, their high priorities embrace easing complexities in GST and tax laws, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, labour regulation compliance, and company governance filings.
Many CFOs really feel the necessity for standardised ESG reporting frameworks, simplified environmental laws, and readability in information safety legal guidelines below the DPDP Act. They vouch for leveraging digitisation, automation, and AI-driven instruments to scale back guide effort and improve transparency.
Added to that, finance executives have flagged cybersecurity, payroll compliance, and cross-border commerce protocols which can be ripe for reform to alleviate the rising compliance burden.
ETCFO spoke with high India Inc CFOs to know their sense of compliance burden this 12 months, the issues, and the reforms they search for:
The rising emphasis on sustainability and environmental compliance will necessitate readability and consistency in ESG requirements.Bittu Varghese, CFO, Desk House
Our major focus is to have interaction with solely these properties which can be absolutely compliant, Varghese added.
Ashwin Rathi, CFO of Smoor Sweets, added, “We anticipate evolving and stricter compliance requirements, particularly in ESG and monetary reporting, to proceed within the coming 12 months.” The Digital Private Knowledge Safety Act (DPDP) can be going to herald place stronger information safety protocols, additional including to compliance obligations.
“As information privateness turns into extra important, companies should undertake strong measures to make sure compliance whereas safeguarding organisational belongings,” stated Rishabh Jain, CFO of Bikaji Meals Worldwide.
Tax Simplification and Automation
Streamlining tax compliance is a precedence for CFOs, with GST, TDS, and payroll laws being important ache factors. “Simplification of tax submitting procedures and reconciliation processes would cut back administrative burdens,” instructed Subhashendra, CFO of Trehan Iris.
Manoj Agrawal, CFO of Satin Creditcare Community, introduced expertise into dialogue, stating, “RegTech and automation can restrict guide work whereas bettering transparency in compliance processes.”
Compliance and Enterprise effectivity
Whereas compliance calls for are anticipated to develop, CFOs consider simplifying processes will help companies obtain operational effectivity. “The federal government’s push for digitalisation has made compliance much less cumbersome, at the same time as necessities improve,” remarked Amit Jaiswal, CFO of Royal Orchid Inns.
Venkatraman Narayanan, MD & CFO of Happiest Minds, stated, “The method of compliance will develop into easier by way of automation and the usage of Gen AI. Whereas the necessity for regulatory adherence will rise, expertise can streamline the execution.”
CFOs put ahead that regulatory frameworks should steadiness transparency with simplicity to help enterprise development. “Compliance is essential for fostering belief and driving sustainable development, however easing procedural complexities would permit organisations to allocate assets extra successfully,” stated Rajan Luthra, CFO of ACE-Motion Development Tools Ltd.
