The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) is a nodal agency in the Ministry of Finance which receives information from Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and acts as the Central Repository of economic offence records. The information and inputs received in the Bureau are analysed and subsequently shared with other LEAs in cases having multi-agency implications. Thus, the Bureau acts as a coordinating agency for sharing of information and holistic investigations.

The Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Union Finance Minister is the apex forum for inter-agency coordination. The DG CEIB is the Member Secretary of the EIC. The mandate of the EIC is to consider various aspects of intelligence relating to economic security and for evolving strategy for collection and collation of intelligence and its dissemination to identified user agencies and departments. The EIC comprises 18 member agencies, which are CBDT, CBIC, ED, MHA, SEBI, RBI, DEA, Revenue Secretary, DCA, NSCS, CEIB, NCB, DRI, DGGI, DGFT and FIU-IND. There are five special invitees, which are MEA, R&AW, IB, CBI and BSF.

The Working Group on Intelligence Apparatus (WGIA) is the Standing Working Group under the chairmanship of Revenue Secretary, which monitors the progress on decisions taken by the EIC, monitors the working of Regional Economic Intelligence Councils (REICs), examines the intelligence assessments compiled by CEIB on the basis of inputs provided by various agencies including the FIU and ensures suitable interaction with NSCS on matters having a bearing on national and economic security. The WGIA had its last bi-annual meeting in March 2023.

The Regional Economic Intelligence Council (REIC) is a unique forum which brings together Central and State LEAs to ensure operational coordination between different LEAs in the region. The REICs gather economic intelligence on trade and industry, examine trends on changing dynamics of economic offences and suggest measures for dealing with such offences. There are 30 REICs in the country and are headed by Convenor who is of the rank of Chief Commissioner or Director General. Each REIC meets bi-monthly and the intelligence gathering and information sharing is monitored at the Central level by CEIB. The REIC forum comprises of designated officers from CBDT, CBIC, DRI, DGGI, ED, CBI, IB, BI, local heads of RoCs, EOWs of State Police and State Tax authorities. Information on cases received from agencies is shared by CEIB and also by different agencies in the forum. For coordinated action and experience sharing, CEIB organizes meetings at Zonal and Central levels. The Annual Conference of REIC Convenors was held in Hyderabad in August 2023.

Recommendation 2 of 40 of FATF specifically emphasizes interagency exchange and coordination amongst LEAs for the purpose of checking the menace of money laundering, terror financing and proliferation financing. CEIB acts as a nodal agency relating to economic offences and Central Repository of all cases on economic crimes and through REICs seeks to provide an effective role of coordinator and facilitator for exchange of information domestically with each other concerning the development and implementation of AML/CT policies and activities. REIC Forum has served as an effective tool to achieve aforesaid objective of not only revenue realization but comprehensively dealing with the economic crimes.

Group on Economic Intelligence (GEI) is an important coordination platform for sharing of intelligence between member agencies. Inputs shared through this platform help in pooling of resources, information and knowledge for coordinated action for combating economic offences, including predicate offences. GEIs on important subjects such as violation of FEMA, Trade based money laundering, online gaming industry etc., have been held giving important inputs to participating agencies as well as policy inputs and recommendations to the Government.

CEIB also provides antecedent verification to Banks for borrowers and NPAs with respect to all loans in excess of Rs. 50 crores. In FY 2022-23, more than 6000 such requests were processed for loan value of approx. Rs.40 lakh crores. CEIB also coordinates the Global Entry Programme (GEP) wherein verification of antecedence of applicants is coordinated with Ministry of Finance, Intelligence and Law Enforcement Agencies. For expediting clearances, an online GEP clearance cloud-based system is being developed. CEIB maintains a database of dossiers of economic offenders on the basis of inputs received from LEAs across the country in its NEIN (National Economic Intelligence Network) database. The Bureau is now migrating to a new technology based NEOR (National Economic Offence Record) application. Towards this goal, the Bureau is in continuous touch with Law Enforcement Agencies for universalization of economic offence records and data. Various software applications are being developed for digitization and adoption of technology to improve business processes within the Bureau.