Before we answer , we must first know what lobbying actually is. In layman’s terms , lobbying is a valuable commercial strategy for influencing government decision-making, especially for companies facing risks like a tax increase or a new policy that could harm their product or service. Most importantly, businesses can affect the laws and policies that are important to them via lobbying easily.
Why Should Business Lobbying Made Legal In India?
Policymakers and regulators are concerned about the issues that businesses confront, and it is their responsibility to pay attention to stakeholder opinions and take them into consideration when making decisions. They rely on lobbyists to present the evidence and an argument in favour of or against a certain issue. They also realise that before making a choice, they need to hear a range of opinions, especially those of people who will be most impacted by a proposal.
As the potential growth increases, more and more businesses will hire lobbyists to advance their goal by communicating directly with legislators and bureaucrats. Legal or illicit, lobbying will continue to be essential to Indian politics and industry. It’s not a choice to get rid of it or make it unlawful.
Need For A Decision
Although it goes by a variety of titles, such as public relations, external affairs managers,, etc., lobbying has now established itself as a well-established service business. Numerous reputable Associations, Federations, Confederations of Industry and Commerce, etc., work as lobbyists to influence legislation to favour corporations.
In nations like India, where there is no clarity on the subject, the lobbying sector has been pressing for regulations that are transparent and explicit. Therefore, it is imperative that India establish a thorough and transparent policy before deciding whether to make lobbying lawful or illegal, and bury this debate for good.
