Gujarat becomes first state to set up dedicated 'Service Commissionerate'

New Delhi (Raghwendra Pratap Singh) : Gujarat has become the first state in India to establish a dedicated 'Service Commissionerate', with the state cabinet approving the creation of a new institutional framework aimed at advancing the growth of the services economy and supporting sectors such as information technology, tourism, and logistics.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and was announced by government spokesperson, Minister Jitu Vaghani.

Announcing the decision, Vaghani said: “For the first time in the country, the Chief Minister has decided to establish a separate ‘Service Commissionerate’ in Gujarat by giving special priority to the service sector and to create the official post of ‘Service Commissioner’.”

He said the new body would function for the services sector in the same manner that the Industries Commissionerate operates for industrial development in the state.

Just as a separate Industries Commissionerate functions for the development of industries, Gujarat is once again going to become an inspiration for other states in the country by introducing this innovative arrangement for the service sector,” Vaghani said.

Gujarat has long been recognised for its manufacturing and industrial base, but the state government has increasingly sought to diversify the economy by strengthening the service sector as part of efforts to create a more balanced economy.

Vaghani said the recommendation to establish the Service Commissionerate had emerged from the Gujarat Reforms and Institutional Transformation (GRIT) initiative, which proposed a dedicated mechanism for the robust, comprehensive development of the state's services sector.

According to the government, the Commissionerate will serve as the central agency for promoting rapidly growing service sectors, framing new policies, and attracting investment into the state's services economy. Its primary focus areas will include tourism, information technology, and logistics, sectors that have recorded significant growth in recent years.