Commerce Minister of India, Political Journey

Commerce Minister of India: Shri Piyush Goyal is the Commerce Minister of India, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles, and the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. He has previously been a minister for the Railways, Finance, Corporate Affairs, Coal, Power, New and Renewable Energy, and Mines.

Commerce Minister of India Overview

Key Milestones Under Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister of India

• India achieved its highest-ever exports, hitting approximately $776 billion during the fiscal year 2022-23.
• Led the signing of a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the UAE, marking the fastest global discussion for an FTA. Additionally, played a key part in getting the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade deal (ECTA), the country's first deal with a wealthy nation in over ten years.
• Coordinated the launch of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes to improve the Make In India plan.
• Led the operation of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the world's biggest food security program, providing free foodgrains to nearly 80 crore poor and defenseless people over a span of two years.
• Achieved a unique milestone as the Minister of Railways by ensuring India's best-ever safety record, with zero passenger deaths in train crashes.
• Successfully implemented the world's biggest LED bulb distribution program, known as UJALA, during the term as the Power, Coal, and New & Renewable Energy Minister.
• Acknowledged with the 4th Annual Carnot Prize in 2018 for pioneering changes in India's energy industry.

Piyush Goyal, Commerce Minister of India- Political Journey

Minister of State for Coal, Power, New and Renewable Energy (2014–17)

• Goyal assumed the role of Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy in 2014 under the Modi government, where he implemented various initiatives.
• Goyal was honored with the 2018 Carnot Prize for his distinguished contributions to energy policy and his efforts in village electrification by the University of Pennsylvania's Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
• Goyal revised the government's solar power target from 20 GW to an ambitious 100 GW by 2022 and played a crucial role in the turnaround of financially challenged state power distribution companies.
• In the second cabinet reshuffle of the Modi ministry on July 5, 2016, Goyal was elevated and assumed the role of Minister of State for Mines (Independent charge), succeeding Narendra Singh Tomar.

Minister of Railways (2017 – 2021)

• Goyal assumed the role of Minister of Railways on September 3, 2017, succeeding Suresh Prabhu.
• Under his leadership, Indian Railways achieved a "Zero Accident" status, ensuring no accidents for the past 22 months.
• To address the issue of elephants approaching railway lines, Goyal initiated 'Plan Bee,' deploying devices emitting the buzzing sound of bees to prevent accidents involving elephants.
• He introduced the Vande Bharat Express, the first indigenous semi-high-speed train, operating between Delhi and Varanasi.
• Piyush Goyal announced the creation of the South Coast Railway, a new Railway Zone for Andhra Pradesh, in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
• The 'Clone Train Scheme' was introduced to alleviate the waitlisted passenger situation on high-traffic routes by running a duplicate train with the same number.
• Temporarily taking on additional responsibilities, he held the position of the Ministry of Finance from May to August 2018 during Arun Jaitley's medical absence.

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Minister of Commerce & Industry (2019 – present)

• In May 2019, Goyal retained his position at the Ministry of Railways and additionally assumed charge of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• His objective is to eliminate restrictive policies imposed by State Governments, including those related to License Raj, Land Permissions, Foreign Investment Proposals, and Environmental Clearances.
• Goyal directed the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to use the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) for standardizing the onboarding process for retailers on e-commerce platforms.
• The overarching goal is to ensure equal opportunities for all marketplace players, optimizing the utilization of the e-commerce ecosystem for the country's benefit and the well-being of its citizens.
• Under Goyal's leadership in January 2021, India made significant progress in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, jumping 14 spots and securing the 63rd position among 190 countries.
• Embracing the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative, Goyal introduced the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
• As a part of the Startup India initiative, Goyal inaugurated the 'Prarambh' International Summit in New Delhi, contributing to the promotion of entrepreneurship and startups in the country.