The Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes, released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, provides a comprehensive mapping of over 12,000 HSN codes to relevant Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. This initiative aims to strengthen India’s manufacturing ecosystem, facilitate trade, and promote data-driven policymaking in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. By clearly assigning product categories to specific Ministries, the guidebook supports product-centric policy formulation, import–export analysis, and targeted interventions for sectoral growth. It also enhances India’s capacity for evidence-based trade negotiations, import monitoring, and quality control, ultimately promoting a more competitive and resilient industrial framework that aligns domestic manufacturing with global value chains.
Executive Summary
The Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes to Relevant Ministries/Departments, prepared by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), marks a transformative step in India’s manufacturing and trade policy framework. This initiative shall support the national vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, aiming to strengthen domestic manufacturing, enhance trade facilitation, and foster sector-specific growth.
The Guidebook maps over 12,000 HS codes to corresponding Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, based on a rigorous analysis of the Allocation of Business Rules (1961), the CBIC Tariff Manual, and extensive inter-ministerial consultations. This mapping provides clarity on product ownership, enabling Ministries/Departments to formulate targeted policies, support trade negotiations, and engage more effectively with industry stakeholders.
This mapping shall empower Ministries/Departments to adopt data-driven, outcome-oriented approaches to manufacturing development, investment promotion, and effective trade negotiations. It shall serve as a foundational tool for building a resilient, competitive, and future-ready manufacturing ecosystem.
The mapping of Harmonized System (HS) Codes to relevant Ministries and Departments shall enable targeted enhancement of India’s manufacturing capabilities, streamlining trade facilitation, and driving focused sectoral development. Out of 12,167 HS Codes, 11,651 have been accepted by 31 Ministries/Departments. The remaining 516 codes are grouped under a residual category with suggested Ministry alignments.
The Guidebook also proposes a structured way to leverage on the mapping exercise under three pillars:
1. Manufacture in India
- Product-Centric Policy Interventions: Ministries/Departments can leverage HS code insights to formulate tailored, product-specific policies that address the unique characteristics, challenges, and growth potential of high-impact product categories.
- Value Chain Integration: The mapping enables Ministries/Departments to identify critical components of the value chain, including raw materials, machinery, and interdependencies thereby facilitating coordinated and comprehensive product development strategies.
- Skill Development: Supports the design and implementation of targeted skilling programs aligned with the technical and operational requirements of specific products, thereby enhancing workforce readiness and industrial productivity.
2. Strengthen Brand India
- Create a Robust Quality Ecosystem: Ministries/Departments can use the mapping to identify product categories requiring quality enhancement and enforce Quality Control Orders (QCOs) to ensure compliance with national and international standards, thereby improving consumer trust and global competitiveness.
3. Make for the World
- Development of Trade Prowess through:
- Import Monitoring: Enable Ministries to systematically track import patterns, identify supply chain vulnerabilities, and assess overdependence on specific countries or commodities. This insight supports timely interventions to safeguard national economic interests.
- Import Substitution: Facilitate the development of domestic manufacturing capabilities by identifying high-volume imports with viable local production potential.
- Export Promotion: Leverage global demand data and trade analytics to identify high-potential product categories. Ministries can prioritize products with strong economic indicators such Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and low global market share for targeted export development strategies.
- Trade Agreement Negotiations: Ministries are equipped with detailed, product-level insights that enable them to contribute meaningfully to trade agreement negotiations. These insights support the formulation of precise recommendations on tariff concessions, the definition of Rules of Origin (RoO), and the evaluation of non-tariff barriers such as technical regulations and standards. This granular, data-driven approach ensures that India’s negotiating positions in bilateral and multilateral trade agreements—including Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs)—are strategically aligned with national economic priorities, sectoral strengths, and domestic sensitivities. The integration of domain expertise with robust analytical inputs enhances the coherence, effectiveness, and competitiveness of India’s trade engagements on the global stage.
Related Press Release
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes unveiled by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal
The Guidebook marks a pivotal milestone in the journey of India towards Viksit Bharat@2047 by serving as a catalyst for sharper policy interventions and effective trade negotiations through mapping of products to their relevant Ministries and Departments: Shri Goyal
Posted On: 21 SEP 2025
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, released the Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes prepared by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on 20th September 2025 during the event on “Celebrating 10 Years of Make in India and Discussion on Next Gen-Reforms 2.0” in New Delhi. The Guidebook which provides allocation of 12,167 HSN Codes to 31 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, aims to promote the adoption of data-driven approach for manufacturing development, investment promotion, and trade facilitation. It shall serve as the foundation for building a resilient and competitive manufacturing ecosystem.
Emphasizing the significance of this exercise, Shri Goyal mentioned that the Guidebook is a significant stride towards strengthening domestic production capacity and fostering sectoral growth. Additionally, it will also support more effective Trade Agreement negotiations which are aligned with national economic priorities and domain strengths. With the facilitation for identification of the relevant Ministry or Department for specific HSN Codes, this initiative will streamline regulatory processes and further enhance ease of doing business. He added that the Guidebook shall play an integral role in accomplishing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, where governance is responsive to the needs of the industry.
The origin of the development of the Guidebook lies in the observation of persistent challenges arising during trade negotiations, import substitution efforts and redressal of industry concerns due to the absence of definitive mapping of HSN Codes. Further, unmapped Codes were misclassified as ‘Residual Products’ due to unclear ownership. To address the matter, DPIIT followed a holistic and proactive approach, by undertaking the value-chain and use-case analysis for each of the 12,167 HSN Codes sourced from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Tariff Manual.
Following this, a thorough review of the Allocation of Business (AoB) Rules, 1961, was done for mapping of each HSN Code based on the nature and end-use of the product. Once the preliminary mapping was completed, several Inter-Ministerial Consultations, multiple Joint Working Group meetings, over 300 one-on-one meetings with Ministries and Departments, and numerous Industry Stakeholder consultations were conducted. The feedback received was systematically analyzed and incorporated to ensure reflection of ground-level realities.
The exercise eventually led to the mapping of 12,167 HSN Codes to 31 Ministries and Departments. This extensive and consultative effort culminated in the development of the Guidebook, which now stands as a foundational resource for advancing manufacturing and trade related goals.
The Guidebook on Mapping of HSN Codes is a critical enabler for Ministries and Departments to translate policy intent into actionable outcomes. To support its effective use, a dedicated section titled “How to Use the Guidebook?” has also been developed, anchored in three operational pillars. The first segment on “Manufacture in India”, focuses on positioning India as a global manufacturing hub by emphasizing on sector-specific policy alignment, value chain strengthening, and workforce development. Building on this foundation, the “Strengthen Brand India” pillar aims to elevate the global perception of the ‘Made in India’ label through prioritization of quality enhancement. Complementing these efforts, the “Make for the World” pillar is dedicated to support more effective trade negotiations, thereby, enabling Indian products to capture a greater share in international markets.
In conclusion, the Guidebook on Mapping of HSN Codes is not merely a classification exercise but a strategic instrument for shaping the industrial future of India. It empowers Ministries and Departments to adopt an outcome-oriented approach to economic growth and development by streamlining custodianship of products. As India advances towards establishing itself as a global manufacturing hub, this Guidebook becomes pivotal in aligning policy, investment, and trade related matters. With the Guidebook as a catalyst, India is equipped to convert its industrial ambition into international leadership by laying the foundation for a robust and future-ready economy by 2047.
Picture 1: Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry Releases the Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes
Picture 2: Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes
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