Shimla: Roadshows and investors meets held in Dubai, Japan and Mumbai over the past three years have netted investment commitments of over Rs 5000 crore, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated.
After inaugurating Him MSME Fest 2026 here, the chief minister said that the government had already approved 683 industrial projects worth over Rs 14,000 crore. They are expected to generate employment avenues for around 32000 people, he added.
“Him MSME Fest is not merely an exhibition, but a strong platform of opportunities for thousands of small entrepreneurs, artisans and start-ups of the State promoting HIM Brand products globally”, he said.
The event is being held to showcase‘Made in Himachal’ products and help rural, traditional and local MSME products gain National and international recognition.
Being organised by the industries department, HIM Fest 26 is to conclude on 5th January.
The fest lays emphasis on women entrepreneurship with One District One Product (ODOP) initiative theme to help rural entrepreneurs to gain access to new opportunities.
The Chief Minister stated that with the objective of strengthening MSMEs in rural areas, proposals amounting to Rs. 1,642 crore have been submitted to the Central Government, out of which Rs. 109.34 crore has been approved so far.
During the last three years, 107 start-ups have been launched in the State, while 407 start-ups are currently in various stages of establishment.
Earlier Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said that sectors such as green mobility, defence, pharmaceuticals, dairy, food processing, artificial intelligence, electronic chips and data centres were are being accorded priority to accelerate industrialization.
