Himachal Pradesh ISB forest economy MoU

The India — 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) to unlock an estimated Rs 22,600 crore untapped forest and pastoral economy potential. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Ajay K. Sood and Executive Director of BIPP, ISB, Professor Ashwini Chhatre. The partnership follows a joint forest inventory conducted by ISB-BIPP and the Forest Department, involving over 500 forest guards who collected over 2 lakh tree-level records and species-tagged images, combined with satellite imagery and AI/ML tools. The findings were published in 'Counting Green Wealth', with maps for seven species. The inventory estimates untapped value across five bio-resources: amla (Rs 8,700 crore), pine needles (Rs 5,500 crore), wild mangoes (Rs 4,800 crore), sal seeds (Rs 2,400 crore), and rhododendron flowers (Rs 1,200 crore). Extraction will be limited to a sustainable 'yield sweet spot'. The MoU covers four areas: forest economy and community enterprises, a Forest Intelligence Platform, a grazing portal and pastoral database, and training and capacity building. The initiative aims to combine scientific data, digital technology, and community participation to improve forest governance and create sustainable livelihoods, particularly for rural and women-led enterprises.