The Commerce Ministry is establishing a new Central Processing Department (CPD) within the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to roll out a fully faceless, paperless, and jurisdiction-free trade facilitation system for exporters and importers across India. The system is slated for a national launch during the second fortnight of October 2026, according to an official DGFT office memorandum.

What the Central Processing Department Will Do

The CPD will serve as a single central unit for processing all trade-related applications, operating from the central licensing area (CLA) in Delhi. The department is designed to eliminate the need for applicants to physically visit regional DGFT offices, replacing in-person interactions with digital processing. According to the memorandum, the initiative aims to reduce processing time, enhance transparency, and improve ease of doing business for the country's exporters and importers.

Faceless trade facilitation has been a key government priority, building on broader reforms to deregulate and digitise foreign trade administration. The CPD consolidates functions previously dispersed across DGFT headquarters and its regional authorities into a single, accountable processing hub.

Officers Posted, Training Begins October 5

A total of 53 DGFT officers drawn from Delhi and regional centres have been posted or transferred to the new department. The pool includes five Joint DGFTs, 10 Deputy DGFTs, and seven Assistant DGFTs, along with supporting staff.

All officers concerned are required to be relieved of their present charge by 30 September 2026 and must report to DGFT Headquarters at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi for orientation and training, which commences on 5 October 2026. Upon completing the training programme, officers will assume charge at the CPD at CLA Delhi.

The memorandum is categorical: heads of respective zonal and regional authorities must ensure officers are relieved on the stipulated date without exception. 'No request for retention, deferment or modification of posting shall be entertained,' the memorandum states, signalling the government's firm timeline for the rollout.

Significance for Trade Ease of Doing Business

India has consistently pushed to improve its trade facilitation ranking. The faceless system mirrors comparable reforms in tax administration — most notably the faceless assessment scheme introduced by the Income Tax Department — that were credited with reducing discretionary interactions between officials and taxpayers. Applying the same principle to foreign trade processing could significantly cut compliance costs for exporters, many of whom have historically reported delays and procedural friction at regional DGFT offices.

The move also aligns with the government's broader push to streamline processes ahead of key trade agreement negotiations and the country's ambition to grow merchandise exports substantially in the coming years.

What Happens Next

With the orientation programme set for the first week of October, the system is on course to go live before the end of the month. Industry bodies and trade associations will be watching implementation closely — the true test of faceless facilitation will be whether processing timelines demonstrably shrink once the CPD is fully operational.