New Delhi: The Delhi government Monday announced a new digital procedure to issue no-objection certificates or NOCs for movie theatres. This replaces the existing, complicated process that involved approvals from multiple departments.
“Delhi is ending the old maze of multiple NOCs for cinema halls and multiplexes,” chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on X. “The Delhi Government has notified a new SOP introducing a single-window, fully online licensing system through the e-District portal.”
The e-District portal, launched in Delhi in 2015 to deliver public services directly to citizens, will now be used to issue NOCs for multiplexes. It removes the need to visit local government offices, making it easier to track application status and download the digital certificate.
“One coordinated inspection, fixed timelines and one integrated decision will replace the earlier process of approaching multiple departments separately,” Gupta wrote on X.
The chief minister added that the reform would make licensing simpler, more transparent, and accountable. She also stressed that public safety standards would not be compromised.
Delhi is ending the old maze of multiple NOCs for cinema halls and multiplexes.
The Delhi Government has notified a new SOP introducing a single-window, fully online licensing system through the e-District portal. One coordinated inspection, fixed timelines and one integrated…
— CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) August 17, 2026
What was the older procedure?
Previously, theatre operators had to obtain multiple, sequential NOCs from various agencies. This included police, fire department, municipal corporation, Delhi Jal Board, electricity companies, and the health department. Each of these entities had its own application process, fee, inspection schedule, and timeline.
This “multi-NOC” regime meant repeated visits to offices, uncoordinated inspections, and a long road to approval. The entire procedure stretched over months, creating uncertainty for multiplex expansion plans. Operators also had to reconcile disparate observations from each department and re-apply or re-inspect if one agency raised a new point late in the process.
The new SOP collapses these parallel tracks into one coordinated inspection and one integrated report, eliminating the need to chase separate NOCs and removing regulatory hurdles. Under this procedure, applicants for a cinematograph licence, for new halls or renewal, will file a single application on the e-District portal.
The move is expected to benefit multiplex operators and speed up the process for new screens to open in Delhi.
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