Himachal to unlock Rs 22.6k cr forest economy bet

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Key points

• Himachal Pradesh Forest Departmentforest economymedicinal plantsBharti Institute of Public PolicyPalampur Forest Divisionsustainable forest governanceIndian School of Businessforest departmentecological sustainabilitysustainable livelihood.
• Himachal signs MoU with ISB to unlock Rs 22, 600 crore forest economy potential.
• The partnership follows a joint forest inventory conducted by ISB-BIPP in collaboration with the Forest Department.
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• Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and ISB-BIPP signed a five-year pact.

Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and ISB-BIPP signed a five-year pact. This partnership intends to unlock the state's forest economy potential. Science and technology will enable better forest governance and resource utilization. The initiative focuses on community-led enterprises and sustainable livelihood opportunities. This collaboration will strengthen rural economies and conserve forest wealth.

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department on Thursday signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (ISB-BIPP) to unlock the state's estimated Rs 22, 600 crore untapped forest and pastoral economy potential through science and technology-enabled governance. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Sanjay Sood on behalf of the Forest Department and Executive Director of BIPP, ISB, Professor Ashwini Chhatre on behalf of the institute.: Extreme heat can erase hundreds of thousands of jobs in India's cities by 2050: World Bank.

Speaking on the occasion, Sukhu described the partnership as an significant step towards strengthening Himachal Pradesh's rural economy and creating long-term economic opportunities around the state's forest resources. "We are well-positioned to be among the first in the country to bring science, local communities and the government together to transform forest governance, " the Chief Minister remarked. Live Events.

While further assessing the nutritional and commercial value of thangi (hazelnut), sukhu remarked the administration would focus on maximising the potential of locally available species, including medicinal plants such as harad and bel. The partnership follows a joint forest inventory conducted by ISB-BIPP in collaboration with the Forest Department. More than 500 forest guards participated in the exercise, collecting over 2 lakh tree-level records and species-tagged images. The data was combined with satellite imagery and artificial intelligence and machine learning tools and subsequently validated on the ground. Notably, the findings have been compiled in a joint publication titled "Counting Green Wealth", with maps generated for seven species, including khair, bamboo, chir pine, amla, wild mango, sal and rhododendron. According to the inventory, five major bio-resources alone have an estimated Rs 22, 600 crore in untapped value. These include amla at Rs 8, 700 crore, pine needles at Rs 5, 500 crore, wild mangoes at Rs 4, 800 crore, sal seeds at Rs 2, 400 crore and rhododendron flowers at Rs 1, 200 crore.: Sleep deprived? Blame it on climate change The Forest Department remarked extraction would be undertaken only within a sustainable, species-specific "yield sweet spot" to ensure that economic utilisation does not compromise ecological sustainability. In practice, the initiative additionally highlights the potential of community-led forest enterprises. The Pir Panjal Jungle Producer Firm in Pangi, a women-owned enterprise engaged in the thangi business, was cited as an example of how local communities can participate in developing the state's forest economy. The data generated through the inventory is already being applied in the Palampur Forest Division's working plan, described as the first such application of the initiative. Under the new MoU, the model will be expanded to other forest divisions with the eventual objective of covering the entire state. Professor Ashwini Chhatre remarked the credibility of the economic estimates was strengthened by the extensive fieldwork undertaken by forest guards. "This partnership reflects what is feasible when rigorous science is grounded in field reality. Over 500 forest guards spent months gathering this data, giving the estimates real credibility for economic decisions, " he remarked. Dr Aarushi Jain, Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB, remarked the data would go beyond being a research report and would increasingly inform forest management and pastoral governance throughout Himachal Pradesh. In practice, the MoU covers four broad areas: development of forest economies and community enterprises, creation of a Forest Intelligence Platform, development of a grazing portal and pastoral database, and training and capacity building for Forest Department personnel and producer firms. The Forest Intelligence Platform will initially be piloted in Palampur before being expanded throughout the state. The grazing portal will be developed under the Himachal Pradesh Grazing Policy, 2026, with linkages to Aadhaar, Him Pariwar, Bharat Pashudhan and the PEHEL scheme. The initiative is aimed at combining scientific data, digital technology and community participation to improve forest governance while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, particularly for rural communities and women-led enterprises. For context, the state administration stated the partnership would support Himachal Pradesh move towards a model where its forest wealth is not only conserved but additionally sustainably utilised to strengthen rural livelihoods and the broader state economy. Add Now!

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Taken together, the developments around himachal to unlock Rs 22.6k cr forest economy bet point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.