On 23rd June 2022, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Ministry of Commerce and Industry building. The Prime Minister will also launch NIRYAT (National Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade), a new portal that provides stakeholders with all the information they need on India’s foreign trade. The Prime Minister will also speak at the event.
Near India Gate, Vanijya Bhawan is a smart building that uses sustainable architecture with a special focus on energy efficiency. A modern office complex that will be used by two departments of the ministry, namely the Department of Commerce and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Foundation stone
Foundation stone of Vanijya Bhawan, a new office complex for the Commerce Department of the Government of India was laid on 22 June 2018. Located near India Gate, it is being built on a plot of 4.33 acres, belonging to erstwhile Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), at the junction of Akbar and Man Singh Roads. Strictly conforming to Central Vista norms, the building has an area of 19233.745 sq. meters. It will accommodate about 1000 officers and staff. While retaining the Central Vista architecture, the Vanijya Bhawan will have all modern technology driven features. It will be a completely paperless office with state-of-the-art facilities such as smart access control, central air-conditioning, video conferencing, and completely networked systems. The building is also significantly a green building with all required certifications.
Green initiatives
The layout of the building has been planned so as to minimise the number of trees that would have to be cut. More than 56% of the 214 trees on the plot are either being left untouched or are being replanted on the same plot. About 70% of the big trees have been saved. 230 new trees are also being planted on the same plot, thereby ensuring that tree cover on the site would increase after construction of the new building.
The new building will be a symbol of not only India’s growing economic might but also the adoption and use of technology in governance in India. The manner in which public procurement in India has been transformed by Government e-Marketplace (GeM), is an exemplary use of information technology by the Department of Commerce.