Promote Sustainable Industrial Development in Himachal Pradesh
In a significant step towards promoting sustainable industrial development and enhancing resource efficiency, the Department of Industries is conducting awareness workshops under the ‘Greening of MSMEs’ initiative. As part of this effort, workshops were held on August 5, 2025, in Solan and Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh. The program aims to provide specialized training on crucial topics such as energy conservation, waste management, and green financing to over 2,500 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the state.
These workshops were jointly organized by Frost & Sullivan and Tinge Consultancy. The Solan workshop saw the participation of key dignitaries including Mr. A.K. Gautam, DFO, MSME; Mr. Rahul Bansal, Assistant Director Grade-1, IEDS; Mr. Shashank Bhagat, Manager, SIDBI; Mr. Surender Thakur, General Manager, DIC Solan; and Mr. Balraj Sharma, Industrial Promotion Officer.
Around 50 participants actively engaged in practical sessions focusing on energy saving, waste recycling, water management, and green financing methodologies.
Mr. Surender Thakur, General Manager (GM) of the District Industry Centre (DIC) Solan, stated that the workshop was highly productive, with active participation from approximately 40 to 45 MSME units. The sessions on greening, energy efficiency, and SIDBI’s schemes were highly informative. The participants responded positively and expressed enthusiasm about adopting cleaner production technologies.
During the workshop, Mr. A.K. Gautam, DFO, MSME Ministry, along with Mr. Rahul Bansal, Assistant Director Grade-1, IEDS, presented other accessible MSME Ministry schemes designed to offer various
benefits to enterprises. They assured full support for MSMEs in leveraging these opportunities.
Participants were also introduced to contemporary topics such as Resource-Efficient Cleaner Production (RECP), zero emission targets, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, circular economy, and carbon emission reduction plans. Information was provided on digital monitoring systems, access to green technology providers, and financial support options to help MSMEs make their operations more sustainable.
The ‘Greening of MSMEs’ initiative is a key part of the Government of India’s RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) program, supported by the World Bank. Under this initiative, approximately 1,900 MSMEs in Himachal Pradesh will be linked to structured green transitions, with plans to expand this outreach to over 2,500 enterprises in the near future.
Participants shared their experiences, emphasizing the benefits of such workshops. Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Sukhbir Singh from Nanak Flour Mills said, “The workshop on greening MSMEs provided valuable insights into waste reduction and energy efficiency. It was extremely beneficial and informative for MSME units. Experts offered excellent guidance and resolved all our queries.”
