Leh, August 12, 2026: Administrative Secretary, Industries and Commerce, UT Ladakh, Himanshu Gupta, chaired a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming Seabuckthorn Conference, scheduled for September 18–19, 2026, during the peak harvesting season in Ladakh.
The conference will bring together stakeholders to explore the potential of Ladakh’s seabuckthorn sector, with discussions focused on cultivation, processing, value addition, branding, market linkages and entrepreneurship.
The meeting reviewed the proposed programme, venue, event-management arrangements, budgetary requirements and participation of experts and stakeholders. The conference will be organised by the Industries Department in collaboration with the Horticulture Department.
Himanshu Gupta directed officials to finalise the venue and programme schedule at the earliest and ensure timely completion of all preparations. He also stressed the importance of bringing specialised knowledge and global experience to the conference and directed officials to invite experts from outside Ladakh, including potential international speakers from Mongolia, subject to their availability.
The meeting also discussed hiring a professional event-management agency through a transparent quotation/bidding process, with a committee to oversee the selection.
The Administrative Secretary further called for coordination with national agencies, including the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and APEDA, to strengthen value addition and market-promotion initiatives.
Emphasising that the conference must go beyond deliberations, Gupta directed officials to ensure concrete outcomes and actionable recommendations for strengthening Ladakh’s seabuckthorn value chain, particularly in processing, product development, branding, market access and entrepreneurship.
The meeting was attended by the OSD for Special Projects, Director Industries, Director Horticulture, young professionals associated with the Office of the Chief Secretary and other senior officers.
