Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal unveiled a plan to co-locate the various arms and offices of the ministry into a single integrated hub in Mumbai. He presented the initiative as aligned with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi vision of ease of living and ease of doing business and indicated it is intended to make interactions with government comfortable and seamless for the nation’s 1.4 billion (bn) citizens. The initiative followed a review of ministry operations in Mumbai.

The minister noted that Mumbai currently hosts 20 offices of 12 different organisations scattered across the city, occupying hundreds of thousands of square feet of premium space worth several billion (bn) Rs. Under the proposal the ministry will, where feasible, bring these offices together at a single integrated facility equipped with high-quality audio-visual infrastructure to connect stakeholders to 46 organisations. The hub will also provide access to bodies without dedicated branches in Mumbai through integrated systems.

The project is designed to centralise staffing so dedicated personnel can respond to stakeholder requirements from one location, and the ministry expects this will substantially reduce administrative costs and raise overall productivity. Officials indicated the move is intended to simplify procedures for businesses and common citizens alike, reducing the need for repeated travel and time spent visiting multiple offices. The consolidation is also being promoted as a component of green governance.

Environmental benefits were highlighted, with the consolidation expected to conserve energy, save fuel and cut unnecessary travel for both the public and government officials. The minister indicated that export promotion missions will operate directly from the integrated offices to create structural synergy for trade facilitation. That arrangement was positioned as a supporting measure for India’s export ambition of one trillion (tn) dollars this year and two trillion (tn) dollars by 2030.