Sensing the huge potential for export promotion, the Himachal Government has urged the Centre to set up a satellite office of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial corridor.
The demand for the DGFT satellite office was raised by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan at the Board of Trade meeting held in New Delhi yesterday. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal chaired the meeting. He also urged the Centre to set up a satellite campus of NIPER, Mohali, in the upcoming Bulk Drug Park (BDP) at Una.
“Himachal’s exports have increased from approximately Rs 500 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 20,414 crore in 2024-25, reflecting the significant expansion of the State’s industrial base, export-oriented manufacturing ecosystem and policy-driven efforts to promote global markets,” said Chauhan. He said the setting up of a DGFT satellite office in the BBN industrial corridor would go a long way in strengthening export promotion and encouraging import substitution.
He emphasised that such institutions 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.
The minister informed that the total number of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products from Himachal Pradesh is 17, displaying the state’s rich heritage and unique product identity. “The ‘One District Three Product’ initiative has been launched to encourage local entrepreneurship, value addition, and market expansion of indigenous products,” he said.
Chauhan also 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.
Union Minister 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.
“There is an urgent need for improved rail and transport connectivity, logistics infrastructure, and freight support mechanisms to enhance export competitiveness,” he said. To strengthen the connectivity for both raw materials and finished goods, he urged the Government of India to expedite the Chandigarh-Baddi rail corridor, which would make the Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Baddi fully operational, thereby significantly reducing logistics costs and improving export competitiveness for industries located in Himachal Pradesh.
The Industries Minister further shared that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for four proposed industrial clusters at Majhol village (Vaknaghat in Solan), Gheer-Lakhanpur (Nalagarh in Solan), Ogli village (Kala Amb in Sirmaur), and Beetan-Taliwal in Una district are currently being finalized and will be submitted to the Government of India. RD Nazeem, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries), also attended the meeting.
