According to a new report, Counting Green Wealth: Towards a Future-Ready People’s Forest Economy in Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh’s forests could help create a bioeconomy worth Rs 22,600 crore, which is more than double the value of the forest resources currently recorded by the state.
The report has been prepared by the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and the Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP) at the Indian School of Business (ISB). It says artificial intelligence can help turn traditional forest conservation in the Western Himalayas into a sustainable and income-generating bioeconomy.
A bioeconomy is a model that depends on renewable biological resources instead of fossil fuels. These resources include forests, crops, animals and microorganisms, which can be used to produce food, energy, materials and services.
Launched by Himachal Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant, the report identifies four major sectors with strong economic potential. These include an Rs 11,340-crore market linked to wild fruits and health products, a Rs 5,500-crore opportunity to convert highly flammable pine needles into eco-coal, a Rs 5,000-crore regulated khair timber economy, and a Rs 2,760-crore bamboo sector for construction material and biofuel.
Speaking about the report, Pant said it marks a major shift in the state’s vision of “Green Himachal, Prosperous Himachal”. "For the first time, we have combined frontline local taxonomic expertise with cutting-edge satellite imaging and AI modelling, which provides an absolute scientific foundation to show how our forests act as national climate stabilisers, building a 'people's forest economy' that directly translates conservation into sustainable wealth," Pant further said.
Pushpendra Rana, IFS Director (Environment, Science and Technology and Climate Change), said “We are building a dynamic climate defence system by using real-time AI and satellite mapping rather than just measuring trees, and this precise tracking allows us to qualify for global climate funding while protecting our landscapes from disasters.”
Rana added that pine needles, which are a major fire hazard in Himachal’s forests, can be turned into a multi-crore industry. This, he said, could help the state tackle wildfires while also creating economic value.
Ashwini Chhatre, associate professor and executive director at BIPP, said forests should be seen as living socio-ecological systems rather than static resources. He said the real innovation lies in combining data, local communities and the state into one working model. Experts involved in the report said frontline forest guards should not be treated as mere field staff, but as key contributors to knowledge. Their on-ground taxonomic inputs, when combined with AI tools and data systems, can help create new ways for the Forest Department to generate income, including through carbon benefits.
Also read: Two forest fires break out near Dharamshala
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