Himachal Pradesh Raises Key Trade and Export Promotion Issues at Board of Trade Meeting

Chaired by Union Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal
Shimla
The Board of Trade (BoT) Meeting was held at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. The meeting was attended by all Commerce & Industry Ministers of State and Ministers-in-Charge of Trade and Commerce from various States and Union Territories.
Representing Himachal Pradesh, Shri Harshwardhan Chauhan, Hon’ble Industries Minister, along with Shri R.D. Nazeem, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries), actively participated in the deliberations of the Board of Trade meeting.
The Hon’ble Industries Minister expressed his sincere gratitude to the Government of India and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry for launching the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA), a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening industrial infrastructure and promoting balanced industrial development across the country.
During the discussions, Shri Harshwardhan Chauhan, Hon’ble Industries Minister, highlighted key initiatives, priorities, and requirements of the State Government’s for strengthening trade, enhancing exports, accelerating industrial development and attracting investment to promote sustainable economic growth in Himachal Pradesh. He expressed his gratitude for reducing minimum eligibility requirement to 25 acres for hilly states under BHAVYA scheme for setting up plug and play facilities.
The Hon’ble Industries Minister stated that such policy measures would go a long way in attracting fresh investments, generating employment opportunities, and accelerating industrial development in the State while fostering inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The Hon’ble Industries Minister further shared that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for four proposed industrial clusters at 1. Majhol Village (Vaknaghat), Solan District; 2. Gheer-Lakhanpur Industrial Area (Nalagarh Tehsil), Solan District; 3. Ogli Village, Kala Amb, Sirmaur District; and 4. Beetan-Taliwal Industrial Area (under PPP mode), Una District are currently under finalization and will be submitted to the Government of India shortly.
The Hon’ble Industries Minister further shared that the State’s exports have increased from approximately Rs. 500 Cr. in 2003-04 to Rs. 20,414 Cr. in 2024-25, reflecting the significant expansion of the State’s industrial base, export-oriented manufacturing ecosystem and policy-driven efforts to promote global market access for Himachal Pradesh’s products.
To strengthen export promotion and encourage import substitution, he requested for a Satellite Office of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial corridor also satellite Campus of NIPER, Mohali may also be setup in the upcoming Bulk Drug Park (BDP) at Una.
He emphasized that these institutions would provide critical support to exporters, improve the ease of doing business, enhance research capabilities, and promote the growth of the pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors in the region. He apprised the Board that high logistics costs continue to be one of the major obstacles to export promotion in hilly regions such as Himachal Pradesh. He emphasized the need for improved rail and transport connectivity, logistics infrastructure, and freight support mechanisms to enhance export competitiveness.
To strengthen the connectivity for both raw material and finished good he urged the Government of India to expedite the Chandigarh–Baddi Rail Line Project at the earliest. He shared that the early completion of the rail corridor would make the Inland Container Depot (ICD), Baddi, fully operational, thereby significantly reducing logistics costs and improving export competitiveness for industries located in Himachal Pradesh.
It was also informed that total number of Geographical Indication (GI) tags products from Himachal Pradesh are 17, out of which seven new products have been added recently, further strengthening the State’s rich heritage and unique product identity. Further, in the meeting Hon’ble Industries Minister shared that the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh has recently announced in his budget speech “One District Three Products” initiative to encourage local entrepreneurship, value addition, and market expansion of indigenous products. On this Hon’ble Union Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal assured support for promoting GI-tagged products and One District One Product (ODOP) initiatives under the proposed Export Promotion Mission. He further assured the Centre’s full support, handholding, and facilitation measures for promoting local products on national and international platforms, including trade fairs, exhibitions, buyer-seller meets and export promotion events.
The Hon’ble Industries Minister underscored the importance of import substitution and highlighted that the State Government is actively pursuing fresh investments, particularly in the upcoming Bulk Drug Park at Una, which is expected to emerge as a major pharmaceutical manufacturing hub also he shared high priority to export promotion in sectors such as:
• APIs/ Bulk Drug
• Data Centers
• AYUSH and wellness
• Forest-based produce
• Food processing
• Defence
• EV
The Hon’ble Industries Minister further emphasized the need to encourage green and sustainable industries to maintain ecological balance while promoting industrial growth in the hill state.
The Industries Minister highlighted the urgent requirement for world-class testing, quality certification and accreditation facilities in the State to help exporters meet international standards. He also stressed the need for graded incentive mechanisms to support exporters and enhance product competitiveness in global markets.
Taking note of these concerns, Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Chairman of the Board of Trade, informed the Board that separate interactions would be organized with Northern, Hilly, and Landlocked States to better understand their specific export-related concerns and formulate targeted policy interventions.
Shri Harshwardhan Chauhan further informed the Board that District Export Promotion Committees would be constituted in coordination with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) at the district level to identify export opportunities, facilitate capacity building and promote district-specific products, thereby enhancing the overall export volume and strengthening the State’s export ecosystem.
The Hon’ble Industries Minister reiterated the State Government’s commitment to strengthening industrial infrastructure, promoting exports, encouraging import substitution, and creating an enabling ecosystem for sustainable industrial development. He expressed confidence that the support and assurances extended by the Government of India would significantly contribute towards realizing Himachal Pradesh’s vision of becoming a leading destination for investment, manufacturing, innovation, and exports.