New Delhi, Jun 22 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of Vanijya Bhawan at Akbar Road here and said India has made great progress in making the country investment friendly.

After laying the foundation stone, Modi said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has transformed the way trade is done in the country in less than one year. More than one crore have already registered with the GST, he said.

The Bhawan, which is likely to be ready by December 2019, will be a completely networked and paperless office equipped with smart access control.

"Happy that PM Narendra Modi Ji has laid the foundation stone to Vanijya Bhawan. Once completed, the building will be a modern, eco-friendly structure with its entire roof used for solar power generation, zero waste discharge, offering universal accessibility," Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted.

The Bhawan will comprise the Minister's room, 85 cabins for senior officers, 19 meeting rooms with seating capacities ranging from 10 to 100, library and more than 1,000 workstations.