The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified an amendment to the Uniform Consent Guidelines on January 23, 2026, introducing significant reforms for industrial environmental compliance. The most notable change makes the Consent to Operate (CTO) for industries valid indefinitely, replacing the previous system where CTO had to be renewed every 5 years. Under the new framework, industries may pay a processing fee covering a period of 5 to 25 years in a single payment, reducing administrative burden and compliance costs for businesses.

The amendment also reduced the approval timeline for Red category industries, which include the most polluting sectors, from 120 days to 90 days for obtaining environmental clearances. In a move toward third-party verification, environmental auditors are now authorised to conduct compliance verification inspections instead of government inspectors, streamlining the monitoring process while maintaining accountability through a national registry of accredited auditors.

Additionally, greenhouse gas emission intensity targets were extended to four new carbon-intensive industries: secondary aluminium smelting, petroleum refineries, petrochemical manufacturing, and textile production. This expansion brings 208 additional industrial entities under the Indian Carbon Market compliance framework, which was established in 2023. The amendment is expected to accelerate India's progress toward its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement while simplifying regulatory procedures for industry. Environmental groups have cautiously welcomed the emission targets expansion while expressing concerns about reduced government oversight through the auditor-based compliance model.