The Himachal Pradesh forest department signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (ISB-BIPP), in the presence of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday to realise the state’s untapped forest and pastoral economy through science and technology-enabled governance.
As we build on this momentum, I look forward to expanding this initiative to maximise the potential of abundant local species, such as medicinal plants like harad and bel and further assessing the nutritional and commercial value of thangi (hazelnut). The MoU covers four areas: forest economy and community enterprises, building women-led producer companies and market linkages; a forest intelligence platform, piloted in Palampur before state-wide rollout; a grazing portal and pastoral database under the Himachal Pradesh Grazing Policy, 2026, linked to Aadhaar, Him Pariwar, Bharat Pashudhan and the PEHEL scheme and training and capacity building for forest department staff and producer companies.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said “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.
