Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, inaugurated Vanijya Bhawan and Udyog Bhawan in Jaipur, making it the first city — and first state capital — to house offices of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and its affiliated organisations under a single roof. The inauguration marks the formal launch of the ministry's co-location initiative, which the minister has urged to be replicated swiftly across every state capital in the country.

What the Co-location Initiative Means

The two buildings in Jaipur will function as integrated hubs for industry support and international trade, serving as one-stop centres for export promotion, investment facilitation and internal trade activities. According to officials, out of roughly 500 offices and 46 organisations under the ministry, the vast majority — barring very large standalone campuses such as the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) office in Mumbai — are slated for the co-location arrangement.

Notably, Goyal clarified that co-located centres will not be limited to serving only the organisations physically present at a given location; they will facilitate services across all 46 organisations and various departments under the ministry, effectively expanding reach without multiplying infrastructure.

Digitisation Deadline Set for April 2027

At the inauguration, Goyal directed that all processes — including applications for licences and permits, SCOMET approvals, and other trade-related services — be moved entirely online. He set 31 March 2027 as the deadline for completing full digitisation, including the migration of past data and records at Regional Authorities (RAs) of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) across the country.

From 1 April 2027, no individual or business should need to visit a ministry office in person for these services, the minister said. Where physical verification of original documents is unavoidable, Goyal suggested setting up small counters or installing computers at office entrances to enable simultaneous verification and uploading — minimising the compliance burden on citizens and businesses.

Simplification and Trust at the Core

Beyond bricks and bytes, Goyal stressed that the initiative must drive a cultural shift in government service delivery. He called for the simplification of processes, forms and formats, and pushed departments to break organisational silos. The minister specifically encouraged self-certification and a greater degree of trust in stakeholders, saying the government should demonstrate confidence in citizens and businesses rather than defaulting to documentation-heavy verification regimes.

He also called on government offices, state representatives, exporters, importers, investors and businesses to actively participate in rolling out the initiative nationwide.

What Comes Next

With Jaipur as the pilot, the ministry is expected to extend the co-location model to other state capitals in phases. The 31 March 2027 digitisation deadline gives departments roughly 17 months to complete the transition. Industry bodies and trade associations are likely to be consulted as the rollout gathers pace, with the broader goal of reducing friction in doing business and meeting legal compliance obligations.