Himachal Pradesh Government rolls out a long-term roadmap for women-led enterprises.
Himachal pushes for ‘Green ODOP’ as new growth driver for MSMEs.
I Am a Woman, I Will Make a Difference: HP’s New Vision in Entrepreneurship.
Recognising the pivotal role of women-led MSMEs in positioning local enterprises in global markets, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday unveiled a long-term vision to push green ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) initiatives while driving innovation in startups by prioritising high-growth sectors.
On Day Two of the HIM MSME Fest 2026, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu chaired a special session, “CEOs Roundtable Conference,” at Hotel Peterhoff, to explore investment opportunities to boost the manufacturing sector and the state’s rural economy.
He also had a structured one-on-one meeting with industry leaders and potential investors later that day.
Earlier in the day, Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan and Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) R.D. Nazeem led three high-impact back-to-back sessions, bringing together women entrepreneurs from all 12 districts, a few of whom had already made their mark in the highly unconventional areas of homestays, herbal-based products, handlooms, the construction industry, and rural women's hygiene— making sanitary napkins at Kotgarh (Shimla).
The interactions went beyond storytelling to celebrate their entrepreneurial success journeys. At the same time, the government reiterated its resolve to drive women-led enterprises beyond traditional small-scale agro-ventures—such as juices, jams, pickles, and chutneys—towards value-added, growth-oriented businesses rooted in local produce.
“After successfully showcasing Himachal Pradesh at the G-20 Summit, we now see immense potential to take entrepreneurship to the next level—particularly in tourism-linked enterprises, handloom and handicrafts, herbal-based products, and sustainability-driven industries rooted in the state’s unique strengths,” said R. D. Nazeem.
Exhorting women entrepreneurs, Additional CS (Industries) said women can make a real change and should believe in themselves. “Tell yourself: I am a woman, I will make a difference. I will change, and I will empower not just myself, but the women around me,” he underlined.
Nazim underlined the need to contribute to environmental protection and green technologies, suggesting that, while developing new products, ongoing climate change should also be taken into account.
“It is a matter of pride that an entrepreneur has developed an electric scooter and solar-based auto-rickshaws, and others have come out with mushroom-based chocolates. There is a need to give a push to Green One District, One Product initiatives and go in for value-added organic products blended with innovations,” he said.
Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said Himachal Pradesh is a state with a unique culture and distinct traditions in every district. No other state has such a vibrant cultural diversity that enables the creation and development of new ideas, which can be incubated at 14 government-funded incubation centres for new start-ups.
The IIT Mandi, NIT Hamirpur, IIM Sirmaur, and some private universities have established these centres.
Thus, for different districts we have products like Chamba rumal (Chamba), Kangra tea and miniature painting (Kangra), Himachali Chuli oil (Kinnaur), Kullu shawl (Kullu), Amla processing (Bilaspur), Seabuckthorn value addition (Lahual-Spiti), Steel furniture (Mandi), Tourism (Shimla), Packaging (Sirmaur), mushrooms (Solan), agro-products (Hamirpur) and Light Engineering (Una) .
“The Fest has helped to bring young entrepreneurs, women business leaders, and startup owners to one platform to connect with the market leaders, collaborators, buyers, e-commerce platforms, and investors,” he said.
Later in the evening, the state government signed 37 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to set up new enterprises with an investment of Rs. 10,000 crore in the private sector, in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhu and the Industries Minister.
Sukhu announced that the state will soon introduce a new industrial policy and is committed to creating an environment conducive to investment. He said that the Himachal Pradesh government envisions making the state a strong economic hub through progress in green industrialisation, renewable energy, digital and artificial intelligence, and rural industrialisation.
"We will gradually replace all 22,000 petrol- and diesel-powered taxi vehicles with electric vehicles," he said.
The chief minister said a world-class city named 'Him Chandigarh' will be developed near Chandigarh in Himachal Pradesh. He assured the entrepreneurs that an uninterrupted 24-hour power supply will be guaranteed for industries in the state, and electricity will be provided at the lowest rates.
