Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)

The ministry was re-created on 13 October 1999 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a result of the merger of the two independent ministries, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry. Both the independent ministries had existed since independence and had undergone significant changes over time. The ministry is administered through two departments, the Department of Commerce and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

The ministry is usually headed by a minister of cabinet rank and occasionally by a minister of state (independent charge). The current minister is Piyush Goyal who has been in office since 31 May 2019.

Organisation

Department of Commerce

The Department of Commerce is responsible for the formulation and implementation of foreign trade policies and responsibilities relating to multilateral and bilateral commercial relations, state trading, export promotion measures, and development and regulation of certain export oriented industries and commodities. The department is divided into eight divisions:

• Administrative and General Division
• Finance Division
• Economic Division
• Trade Policy Division
• Foreign Trade Territorial Division
• State Trading & Infrastructure Division
• Supply Division
• Plantation Division

The subjects under the administrative control of the department include:

• International trade
• Foreign Trade
• State trading
• Management of Indian Trade Services
• Special Economic Zones

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade was established in 1995, and in 2000, the Department of Industrial Development was merged with it. The department is responsible for the formulation and implementation of promotional and developmental measures for growth of the industrial sector, keeping in view the national priorities and socio-economic objectives. While individual administrative ministries look after the production, distribution, development and planning aspects of specific industries allocated to them, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is responsible for the overall Industrial Policy. It is also responsible for facilitating and increasing the FDI flows to the country. It is also responsible to calculate WPI (I.e. Wholesale Price Index).

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is also responsible for intellectual property rights relating to patents, designs, trademarks, copyrights and geographical indication of goods and oversees the initiative relating to their promotion and protection.

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Autonomous Bodies

1. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
2. Coffee Board of India
3. Export Inspection Council of India
4. Indian Institute of Packaging
5. Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore
6. National Institutes of Design
7. National Council for Cement and Building Materials
8. National Turmeric Board
9. National Productivity Council
10. Quality Council of India
11. Tea Board of India

PSU

1. India International Convention & Exhibition Centre (IICC) Limited
2. National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation

Section 8 Company

1. India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)
2. The Plastics Export Promotion Council

Institute

1. Footwear Design and Development Institute