The industrial policy announced in 1991 by then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao aimed for liberalization, globalization, and privatization to dismantle excessive regulations and allow more freedom for private firms. It sought to reduce the "license permit control raj" system by saving entrepreneurs from bureaucratic harassment when starting businesses. The main purpose of liberalization was to free large private corporations from bureaucratic control as the MRTP limits had become irrelevant for big businesses in sectors like petrochemicals and electronics. However, industrial licensing remained compulsory for certain industries like coal, petroleum, alcohol, sugar and explosives.