The Board of Trade meeting was held at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, with participation from States and Union Territories. Himachal Pradesh was represented by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) R.D. Nazeem.
The Industries Minister thanked the Government of India for the BHAVYA scheme, noting that relaxation of land norms for hilly states will boost industrial investment and employment in Himachal Pradesh. He said DPRs for four proposed industrial clusters in Solan, Sirmaur and Una are in final stages and will be submitted soon. He also highlighted that the state’s exports have grown from about ₹500 crore in 2003–04 to ₹20,414 crore in 2024–25.
To strengthen exports, he proposed a DGFT satellite office in BBN and a NIPER Mohali campus at the upcoming Bulk Drug Park in Una. He also flagged high logistics costs and urged faster completion of the Chandigarh–Baddi rail line to improve connectivity and reduce freight costs.
He informed that Himachal now has 17 GI-tagged products and highlighted the Chief Minister’s “One District Three Products” initiative to promote local products and entrepreneurship. Union Minister Piyush Goyal assured support for GI-tagged and ODOP products under the Export Promotion Mission and said targeted consultations will be held with hilly and landlocked states.
The Industries Minister outlined key sectors for growth, including bulk drugs, data centres, AYUSH, food processing, defence and EVs, and stressed the need for green and sustainable industrial development. He also called for improved testing, certification facilities and export incentives to enhance global competitiveness. The Centre assured continued support to strengthen Himachal’s export and industrial ecosystem.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
