Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Gupta today presided over a review meeting to assess preparations and inter-departmental coordination for the upcoming HIM MSME Fest–2026, scheduled to be held from 3 to 5 January 2026 at The Ridge and Hotel Peterhoff, Shimla.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that a key highlight of the Fest will be the “CEO Interaction – Strategic Leadership Dialogue for Investment & Industrial Growth”, being organised by the Department of Industries, Government of Himachal Pradesh, on 4 January 2026 at Hotel Peterhoff. He informed that the high-level dialogue will take place in the distinguished presence of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Sanjay Kumar Gupta stated that the exclusive, closed-door leadership dialogue will bring together eminent Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors, promoters, and industry leaders from India and abroad. Priority and emerging sectors such as Pharmaceuticals, Green Mobility, Food Processing, Dairy, Data Centres, and Defence will be represented. Designed as a structured Business-to-Government (B2G) platform, the interaction aims to facilitate focused discussions on investment opportunities, policy incentives, regulatory reforms, and long-term industrial growth prospects in Himachal Pradesh.
He added that the initiative reflects the State Government’s commitment to collaborative governance, investor-friendly policymaking, and ease of doing business, positioning Himachal Pradesh as a future-ready, sustainable, and globally competitive investment destination. The dialogue will also enable direct engagement between industry leaders and government officials to understand investor expectations and explore possibilities for anchor investments, industrial clusters, and value-chain integration, particularly in MSME-linked manufacturing. It will further encourage partnerships between large enterprises and local MSMEs for inclusive and sustainable industrial growth.
Director (Industries) Dr. Yunus highlighted the key features of the CEO Interaction, which include participation by leading national and international industry leaders, a policy address and vision presentation by the Department of Industries, sector-specific roundtable discussions, one-to-one meetings with senior government officials, and a platform for signing Memorandums of Cooperation/Understanding (MoCs/MoUs) and announcing investment intentions. He said the interaction would help strengthen investor confidence, identify new proposals and expansion plans, refine industrial and MSME policies, and prepare a roadmap for sustainable, technology-driven, and employment-oriented development.
Dr. Yunus further informed that during the Fest, handloom, handicraft, and other GI-tagged products will be showcased alongside the MSME exhibition at The Ridge. The inaugural ceremony will feature start-up awards, a fashion show, and a cultural evening. On 4 January, major events at Hotel Peterhoff will include a Women Entrepreneurs Meet, Start-up Investor Meet, CEOs’ Roundtable Conference, one-to-one meetings, and an ODOP (One District One Product) Buyer-Seller Meet.
Among those present at the meeting were Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Gandhi, Abhishek, Additional Director (Industries), MSME officials, DFO Solan, and officers from the Language and Culture Department and Shimla Municipal Corporation.
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