Government of Karnataka Launches SME Connect ’25: Enabling Industry 4.0

Affidavit Based Clearances (ABC) functionality is not part of the initial release of the new SWS. This functionality is under development and will be added to the new SWS in the next few months. Till this is done, the investors who are looking to avail this service after in-principle approval of their project proposal, can apply for the same on the old eBiz system. A link to the eBiz system is available from the Invest Karnataka homepage. 

The investor is required to digitally sign the application and the supporting documents being submitted by them as part of the in-principle approval application process. The investor can do so by either affixing the Digital Signature of the authorized signatory by using the Aadhaar based e-signing option or by using the Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) issued by a licensed certifying authority (CA). A list of licensed certifying authority and their contact information is available on the MCA website (https://www.mca.gov.in/MinistryV2/certifyingauthorities.html)

Any duplicate payment made by the investor for the same application number is automatically refunded to the investor’s linked bank account. 

The Single Window System is integrated with a Payment Gateway to allow an investor to make necessary payments online using their preferred payment option like Credit/Debit card, Net Banking, NEFT/RTGS, etc.

Yes, the state’s SWS provides a bi-directional integration with the NSWS. This allows the user to seamlessly move from one portal to the other without having to register again and also allows the ability for the investor to see and apply for state level services from the NSWS and vice-versa.

Yes, the Single Window System provides a facility for any third-party to validate/verify the issuance of an approval/clearance/NOC to the investor by providing some basic inputs. This functionality is available under the investor services section of the site

An investor does not have to visit any of the departments to receive their approval certificates. All the approval/clearance certificates will be made available to the investor through the Investor’s Service dashboard interface of the Single Window System 

The simplest way for an investor to get information on all applicable approvals/clearances/NOCs for setting up their business or the project is to use the “Know-your-Approval” wizard. An investor can use either the basic or advance filters in the wizard to get a detailed list of needed approvals/compliances. Additionally, an investor can also get these inputs by using UMA ChatBot or by getting in touch with their assigned Nodal Officer in KUM

Yes. However, an investor’s ability and the process to make changes to the data submitted by them by filling the Combined Application Form (CAF) for the in-principle approval depends on whether or not their project proposal has been placed for consideration to the appropriate Single Window Committee for deliberation. If the project proposal application is still awaiting placement before the Committee, then an investor can request for editing the application from the post-login landing page. This request for edit is forwarded to the concerned Nodal-Officer from KUM. Once approved, the investor can go ahead and make changes to the application.

However, if the project proposal has already been placed before the Committee and an in-principle approval has been granted, then any change to the project details will be considered an “Amendment”. The investor can apply for amendment of their proposal, for the permissible parameters, on the SWS itself. It is however advisable for investors to get in touch with their assigned Nodal-Officer from KUM before applying for amendment of their project proposal. 

Combined Application Form (CAF) is a form that an investor has to fill and submit to apply for an In-principle approval for their investment project. Based on parameters like the size of the proposed Investment and/or size of the land parcel being requested by the investor, the in-principle approval request will be channeled to SHLCC, SLSWCC or DLSWCC. The details of the CAF, the approval process workflow, list of documents, applicable fees can be accessed from “XXXXXX”

The real-time status of your application for any service (approval/clearance/NOC) will be made available through the Investor’s Service dashboard functionality of the Single Window System. This functionality is available post investor login only.

For any approval/clearance/NOC service, the approval timeline has been defined as per Karnataka’s  Guarantee of Services to Citizen’s Act (Sakala Services Act 2011). This timeline SLA along with other details like the department’s approval process, list of documents required, applicable fees, validity of the clearance, etc can be accessed for every service either through the Know-your-Approval wizard or through the Investor’s Service dashboard.

Non-availability of a particular state-level approval service on the SWS could be either because the particular service is offline or yet to be integrated. In either of these scenarios, an investor would need to get in touch with the concerned department directly. 

The services offered by over 30 departments/agencies/bodies at the state level are being integrated with the Single Window System. We expect this number to go up further in the period ahead. Additionally, the SWS also acts as a gateway for the investors to know about and apply for many National level approvals. It would be prudent for the investor to know about the supported approvals through either the Know-your-Approval wizard or by using the UMA ChatBot.

There are no changes to the forms used or the approval process followed by the concerned departments/agencies/bodies. However, unlike in the past, an investor does not have to register at different department sites and can apply & track all the online services from the Single Window System itself. Additionally, using the SWS eliminates the need for the investor to keep providing the same information again and again to all the departments. The APIs of the SWS ensures that the information provided as part of submission of the Combined Application Form (CAF) to SWS is automatically populated in the department application forms while applying for a service.

A registered user can apply for approvals/clearances/NOCs from various departments/agencies/bodies. This could be the in-principle approval, Affidavit based clearance, approvals/renewals at the state/district level or approvals granted at the National level. More details of these approvals, their sequence, process etc can be accessed through the following link.

Affidavit based Clearances (ABC) functionality is not part of the initial release of the new SWS. This functionality is under development and will be added to thew new SWS in the next few months. Till this is done, the investors who are looking to avail this service after in-principle approval of their project proposal, can apply for the same on the old eBiz system. A link to the eBiz system is available from the Invest Karnataka homepage.

While tracking of the in-progress CAF submitted through the old eBiz site has to happen there, the investor is free to start using the new SWS functionalities like UMA ChatBot, wizards, incentive calculator, etc on the new site to get familiar with the policies, incentives, downstream approvals needed and process involved. Once the investor application on the old eBiz site is approved, the relevant data will automatically be migrated to the new SWS. The investor can then take the project proposal forward on the new SWS.

The details of all the Combined Application Forms submitted by an investor for a particular project will be accessible on the post login landing page in the new SWS.  This page not only allows an investor to access the project approval details but also provides the ability to apply for downstream business services, view & edit organizational data, receive notifications, access wizards & caulculator, user-guides, templates, document repository, etc from the same interface

All investors whose project proposals have received in-principle approvals from the SHLCC/SLSWCC/DLSWCC, irrespective of whether the application was submitted on the old eBiz site or the new SWS, have to use the new SWS portal to know and apply for various relevant business services at the state and national level. 

While an investor will still be able to access the existing eBiz site, much of its functionality like new investor registration, application of new in-principle approval by filling the Combined Application Form (CAF), application for new business services, etc will be disabled. The investor will need to start using the functionality of the new SWS for these functions. The existing eBiz site can only be accessed by investors who have either submitted CAF for in-principle approval and their application is still awaiting a verdict from the SHLCC/SLSWCC/DLSWCC or by investors who are applying/have applied for Affidavit Based Clearance (ABC).  

No, the profile details of all the existing registered users on the existing eBiz site of KUM will be migrated to the new SWS. However, during the first login attempt on the new site, the investors will be asked to reset their password before accessing the post login section of the system. Once done, the investor can use this new password for subsequent logins.

No, it is not possible to create multiple login accounts for the same business entity. However, the system supports creation of multiple investment project proposals by the same business entity in the state of Karnataka.

A registered investor will be able to change their password either by clicking the “Forgot Password” option on the Login Page or by using the “Change Password” option on the post login landing page. 

The only pre-requisites for new user registration, apart from some basic information about the investor entity, is the need for a valid & active PAN, mobile number and email address

The information provided by the investor at the time of registration, can be changed on the post login landing page. In case email and phone number is being changed, the new inputs will be re-verified before the change is effected. However, it is not possible for the investors to change the PAN provided by them during registration.  

Post registration, an investor can log into the system by simply clicking the “Login” and selecting “investor” from the dropdown option and entering the combination of user details and password. 

This could be because either your PAN status is “Inoperative” or there exists a mismatch between the information provided by you in the registration form and those provided while applying for the PAN. The investor needs to ensure that the name of the entity/proprietor, date of birth/incorporation, PAN number, etc being provided in the registration form match the inputs provided during the PAN application.

The registration process for the SWS is exclusively online. Based on the constitution of the investor’s entity, a few details like PAN, name of the Entity/Proprietor, date of birth/incorporation, contact details & self-created password need to be submitted. The PAN and contact details are validated/verified before the registration process is completed.

The Karnataka Single Window System provides the following kind of dashboards:

1. Investor’s services dashboard – To allow them to view, apply & track all state level services approvals/clearances/NOCs
2. Public dashboard – This allows all site visitors a detailed view on number of applications received, approvals granted, time taken, and fees paid at each department level. It allows drilldown to access this data at an individual application level.
3. Department dashboard – It allows different government officials to get access to authorized data for overall visibility on applications received, in-process & approved, SLA compliance, identification & resolution of bottlenecks and for identification of interventions for continuous improvement. Additionally, they also get visibility into queries & grievances raised by the investors.

The Incentive calculator has been designed to help the investors get inputs on the quantum of incentives/concessions/rebates that their project would be entitled to under the selected policy of the state. The output of the Incentive Calculator can be exported to Excel for further analysis. 

The current site provides investors access to 2 wizards namely, “Know-your-approvals” and “Know-your-incentives”. The know-your-approvals wizard allows any investor to quickly understand the various state & national level approvals that are relevant for their project, using either the Basic or Advanced filters. On the other hand, the Know-your-incentives wizard helps an investor to access the bouquet of incentives/concessions/rebates that their project will be entitled to under the various policies of the state of Karnataka. 

UMA is an AI powered ChatBot for investors supporting multiple channels (Text & Voice) and languages. It has been designed to help investors quickly find relevant details related to policies, approvals & incentives.

Under the Single Window System, the investors will also have access to a Compliance dashboard. It will pro-actively notify an investor about expiry/lapse of a certain business service’s approval/clearance. This would help the investor to initiate timely renewal of relevant services through the system.  

The investor’s services dashboard is a place for an investor to keep track of all the business services that they can avail. An investor can add services to the dashboard either manually or using the Know-your-Approval wizard. It also simplifies the life of the investor by providing the following details about each Service like Department/Agency name, Project Stage, Stipulated approval time, approval process/workflow, fees, list of documents required, approval validity, etc at one place. Once applied, the investor can track current status of application, elapsed time, access to payment receipts and approval certificates from the same interface.

Yes, under the “How to Invest” section on the homepage, the investors can use the option “Find your Site”. This section will allow investors to explore and shortlist suitable land parcels from KIADB, Own/Revenue land & also from Private Industrial parks operating in the state. Additionally, the investors can use the Single Window System’s GIS based Industrial Information System to quickly check compliance to various siting guidelines for their chosen Own/Revenue land parcel.

The key features of the new Single Window System include:

• A multi-channel and multi-language supporting AI Chatbot: UMA – Udyog Mitra Assistant
• Know-your-approval & Know-your-incentive Wizards 
• Know-your-incentive Calculator
• Ability to know, apply, track status, receive & renew approvals/clearances/NOCs for over 150 state services spanning 30+ departments through an investor services dashboard interface
• Third party verification and validation of the approvals/clearances/NOCs issued for various services
• Assistance in finding suitable land parcels for investors
• Ability to submit claims for incentives/rebates/concessions 
• Department dashboards for overall visibility, SLA compliance, elimination of bottlenecks and identification of interventions for continuous improvement

An investor can ascertain approvals required for their project by either using the Know-your-Approval wizard or through the Udyog Mitra Assistant (UMA) Chatbot

The proceedings of the various State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC), State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) & District Level Single Window Clearance Committee (DLSWCC) meetings are available under the “Tools & Resources” section of the Invest Karnataka site.

The Single Window System is designed to be a completely responsive system. So, an investor can use their devices like smartphones or tablets to access all the functionality. The investor only needs to ensure that they are running an appropriate Operating System (OS) that supports installation of the supported browsers on the device.

The Invest Karnataka website supports the last three major releases of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Release 13 onwards of Safari.

Since the Single Window System provides a gateway to apply and receive approvals/clearances/NOCs from multiple departments, the best way to raise a grievance is through the “Query & Grievance” module of the System. Based on the concerned department against which an investor may have a grievance, the system will guide you through to the right platform for raising and tracking the grievance.

Government Order & Circulars related to Invest Karnataka Forum or Karnataka Udyog Mitra are available under the “Tools & Resources” section of the Invest Karnataka site.

The following channels are available to an investor for seeking help on their queries:

• Query & Grievance module – An investor can raise a query/grievance on the system itself
• FAQs & Help guides – An investor can go through the list of FAQs and/or Help guides available on the site to get their queries answered
• UMA ChatBot – An investor also has the option to get clarifications on their queries from UMA ChatBot
• Nodal Officer: Assigned KUM Nodal Officers can be reached for any hand-holding/information needed by the investor
• An investor can also call the office of Karnataka Udyog Mitra (KUM) at 91-80-22282392 / 22285659 /22286632 to receive support

Yes, it will be possible for an investor to claim incentives/concessions/rebates for multiple project units from a single account on the SWS. However, any incentive claim has to be made against a project that is provided an in-principle approval on the SWS.

The list of Industries/activities that are not eligible to receive incentives/concessions under the state’s Industrial policy are mentioned in Annexure-4 of the “Karnataka Industrial Policy” document.

As per Karnataka’s Industrial Policy 2020-2025, the state has been segregated into 3 distinct Zones based on the proposed project location. Among other parameters, the Zone associated with the investor’s project governs the applicable incentives/rebates/concessions. Tools like Wizards, Incentive-Calculator and UMA ChatBot can help the investor find the applicable zone for their project. The investor can also find the zonal classification for their project by looking at the zonal mapping of the talukas & districts in Annexure-5 of “Karnataka’s Industrial Policy”.

Yes, this feature of allowing investors to apply for the approved incentives/concessions/rebates on the Single Window System is currently under development. This feature will be made available to the investors in the April-June 2025 quarter

Single Window System, apart from providing access to various sectoral policies, provides an investor with multiple other mechanisms to get information about relevant & applicable incentives. An investor can use Know-your-Incentive wizard, Know-your-Incentive Calculator and UMA ChatBot to get the relevant Incentive details. 

All the information needed by a potential/existing investor is made available through the Invest Karnataka portal (www.investkarnataka.co.in). This not only includes the information about the state & its salient propositions for the investors, but also other information like relevant policy details, approval process, list of business services (approvals/clearances/NOCs) from concerned departments at various stages of the project life-cycle, list and calculation of potential incentives available, etc. All the above-mentioned functionalities are available to investors irrespective of their registration status. 

However, to begin to apply for the business services, a new investor will need to register on the site. Once registered, they can proceed with the process of applying for in-principle approval by filling in the Combined Application Form (CAF).

No. The Single Window System also helps existing investors to get approvals for expansion, modernization & diversification of their existing projects. It also helps the existing investors keep track of all their applications & documents submitted, payment receipts and approval certificates received. Additionally, the SWS will trigger timely reminders to the investors for renewal of their expiring approvals/clearances. 

Karnataka Udyog Mitra (KUM), constituted under the aegis of the Department of Industries & Commerce, Govt of Karnataka is an initiative from the state to facilitate investments, and assist investors through all the stages of their investment journey. A suitable nodal-officer is assigned for every investment proposal to handhold the investor with all the necessary information, process details and coordination with other agencies/departments. The list of sectoral nodal officers in KUM can be accessed from here. More details about KUM are available under the “About Us” section of the site.

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The Single Window System, a part of the Invest Karnataka site, aims to act as an investment facilitation portal for new and existing investors in the state. Not only does it allow registered investors to apply for in-principle approvals for their projects but true to its name, it also facilitates online form-filling for services (approvals/clearances/NOCs) from various state departments/bodies/agencies, payment of fees, tracking of status, download & verification of approval certificates, renewal of approvals/clearances/NOCs, etc. All this happens under timebound SLAs as defined under the state’s Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act (Sakala Services Act 2011) and with full recourse to online query and grievance addressal.