Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has set March 31, 2027, as the deadline for completing the digitisation of all services under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The move aims to eliminate the need for businesses and citizens to visit government offices physically to access services.

During the inauguration of Unified Commerce Offices in Jaipur, Goyal directed officials to digitise all processes, including licence and permit applications, approvals under the Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies (SCOMET) category, and other services.

The digitisation exercise will also cover historical records and data maintained by regional offices of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) across the country.

From April 1, 2027, applicants should no longer be required to visit offices in person for these services. Where physical verification of original documents remains necessary, dedicated counters may be established to facilitate verification and digital uploading.

Goyal encouraged the adoption of self-certification and trust-based procedures to reduce compliance burdens. He also called for simplifying application formats and administrative processes to improve service delivery.

The minister emphasised coordination between the Department of Commerce, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade and other associated organisations.

The Commerce Ministry operates around 500 offices and 46 organisations. The government is working to bring most of these offices under a unified arrangement to improve accessibility and streamline administrative operations.