New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- Seeking to cut red tape and speed up expansion plans, top leaders from the retail and FMCG sectors on Wednesday urged the government to simplify compliance processes through a common portal, rationalise GST rates, and streamline licensing norms.

Speaking at FICCI's 14th edition of Massmerize on the theme 'Make in India: Powering the Future of FMCG, Retail and E-Commerce', Lalit Agarwal, Co-Chair, FICCI Retail and Internal Trade Committee and MD of V-Mart Retail, said fragmented regulations across states and local bodies continue to slow down retail expansion.

"As retailers, we are operating across 23 states, and the biggest challenge is navigating multiple laws--municipal, panchayat, state and central. While digiti...