India Launches Trade Command Centre to Boost Global Commerce

Piyush Goyal launches the National Strategic Trade Command Centre in New Delhi to strengthen trade intelligence, monitor export performance and support data-driven decisions across India's international trade ecosystem.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has launched the National Strategic Trade Command Centre (NSTCC) at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi to strengthen the monitoring, analysis and governance of India's international trade ecosystem. The initiative aims to improve trade intelligence and support evidence-based policymaking through integrated data analytics.

The command centre is designed to provide senior policymakers and government officials with a consolidated view of India's trade performance, export promotion schemes, regulatory approvals, application processing and operational indicators. It brings together information from key functions of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and related trade facilitation systems.

Also Read: How AI Is Reinventing the Future of Manufacturing

In its initial phase, the NSTCC will feature dashboards covering the Importer Exporter Code (IEC), Advance Authorisation, Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG), Certificate of Origin (CoO), and the Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies (SCOMET) framework. It will also monitor restricted imports and exports, alongside other regulatory and trade-related processes.

The platform is intended to help authorities analyse trade information across products, destination markets, export promotion schemes, regional offices and individual applications. It will also support the identification of export opportunities and help policymakers assess operational performance, enabling more coordinated decisions across the trade ecosystem.

During the launch, Goyal reviewed the SCOMET dashboard and called for regular meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, including weekly meetings if necessary, to address the backlog of pending applications. He emphasised the need to ensure that applications are processed and cleared expeditiously.

The NSTCC is expected to evolve through the phased integration of additional datasets from government departments and trade-related agencies. Its analytical capabilities are also expected to expand through automated alerts and advanced analytics, with authorised stakeholders gaining access in stages.

Also Read: Why Global Companies are investing more in India's GCCs

The initiative marks a step towards more integrated, data-driven trade administration, with the broader objective of improving regulatory coordination, strengthening export promotion and enhancing India's competitiveness in global markets.