Border trade revived through Shipki La in Kinnaur district

The state government today said that the Central government has notified it about the resumption of border trade through Shipki-La in Kinnaur district. The border trade is being reopened through Lipulekh (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La (Sikkim) as well.

As per the government spokesperson, the two countries have also agreed to continue and further expand the scale of the Indian pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, Gang Rinpoche and Lake Mansarovar from 2026.

The spokesperson said that Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has informed the state government that the Government of India initiated discussions with China for resumption of border trade through Shipki-La, Lipulekh (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La (Sikkim). In addition to trade, the state government has also received a positive response regarding the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (KMY) through Shipki-La.

The spokesperson said the Union External Affairs Minister, in a letter to the Chief Minister, conveyed that after a five-year gap, the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra has resumed through Lipulekh Pass and Nathu La, and now Shipki La would be added as an additional route. “These initiatives would not only revive traditional border trade but also open new avenues for tourism, cultural exchange, and economic development in Himachal,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the breakthrough came due to the intervention of the Chief Minister, who had written to the Union government to revive the historic Indo-Tibetan trade route. The Chief Minister, in his communication to the Centre, had highlighted that the Shipki-La route, connecting via Gartok towards Darchen and Mansarovar, is comparatively shorter. The state already has road connectivity up to Shipki-La via Rampur Bushahr and Pooh, making it feasible to develop the necessary base camps and supporting infrastructure for the yatra.

“Acting on this, the union government formally took up the matter with China, leading to a consensus to restart the trade. The state government would now take this matter with the union commerce ministry for completing the codal formalities,” said the spokesperson.

The Chief Minister has expressed gratitude to the Union government for prioritising these key concerns of the state in bilateral dialogues with China.