Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal virtually inaugurated Vanijya Bhawan and Udyog Bhawan in Jaipur on 4 November 2026, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, marking Jaipur as the first city — and the first state capital — to bring all departments and affiliated offices of the ministry together at a single location.
Goyal called on the Departments of Commerce and for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to treat the Jaipur opening as the starting point for rapid nationwide implementation, particularly in every state capital. The co-located centres are intended to serve as one-stop hubs for the promotion of exports, investments and internal trade, as well as to support businesses in what the minister described as India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047.
The ministry currently has around 500 offices and 46 organisations. Goyal said that, except for very large campuses such as ECGC's major office in Mumbai — which would continue to operate independently — all other offices would be brought under the co-location arrangement. He added that co-located centres would facilitate services across all 46 organisations and departments, not only those physically present on site, with video conferencing facilities to be provided at every co-located office to allow interaction with officials not stationed there.
Goyal directed that all processes — including applications for licences and permits, SCOMET approvals and other services — move entirely online, setting 31 March 2027 as the deadline for completing digitisation of past data and records at the Regional Authorities of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) across the country. From 1 April 2027, no person should be required to visit any of the offices physically for these services. Where physical verification of original documents remains necessary, the minister suggested small counters or computers at office entrances to allow simultaneous verification and uploading.
The minister stressed that the objective should extend beyond administrative consolidation to transforming service delivery, simplifying processes and making it easier to do business and comply with the law. He encouraged self-certification and greater trust in stakeholders, and called for the simplification of formats and forms while urging departments to break organisational silos.
Goyal also directed that every office be equipped with CCTV cameras connected to a central server in Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, to enable random monitoring of work being undertaken across the country. He said that co-location, digitisation and the introduction of faceless assessments would enhance transparency, accountability and public confidence, and emphasised that officials should ensure the functioning of every office was facilitative, supportive and helpful amid what he described as considerable uncertainty and volatility in international trade and global geopolitical affairs.
This article is based on a primary source and has undergone editorial review prior to publication.
