{"id":"in-himachal-pradesh","country":"in","kind":"state","name":{"en":"Himachal Pradesh","local":"हिमाचल प्रदेश"},"languages":["hi","sa","en"],"currency":"INR","symbol":"₹","fxPerUsd":94,"cities":{"T1":"Shimla","T2":"Dharamshala","T3":"Chamba"},"basket":{"teaCup":20,"simpleMeal":110,"haircutMen":120,"milkLitre":58,"breadLoaf":55,"unskilledDayWage":550,"minWageMonthly":12750,"shopRentSqftMonth":{"T1":150,"T2":70,"T3":35},"electricityCommercialKwh":6.5,"lpgCommercialCylinder":2924,"petrolLitre":103.15},"tax":{"salesTax":"GST 5/18% (national)","smallBizThreshold":"₹40 lakh goods / ₹20 lakh services (verify special-category option)","localLevies":"No professional tax; entry tax on outside vehicles"},"licences":[{"name":"Registration under HP Shops & Commercial Establishments Act 1969 (10+ workers, Est.)","fee":"nominal (Est.)","authority":"Labour & Employment Department","source":"Est.: threshold from compliance guides"},{"name":"Tourism trade registration (homestay, guide, adventure)","fee":"small fee by category","authority":"Department of Tourism (HP TD&R Act 2002)","source":"Est.: state tourism law"}],"festivals":[{"name":"Kullu Dussehra","dates2026_27":"about 20–26 Oct 2026","effect":"week-long fair; stalls and lodging peak in Kullu"},{"name":"Karva Chauth","dates2026_27":"29 Oct 2026","effect":"salon/mehendi and sweets spike 3–5× for women's services; evening eateries busy after moonrise"},{"name":"Diwali (Dhanteras 6 Nov, Lakshmi Puja 8 Nov, Bhai Dooj 11 Nov)","dates2026_27":"6–11 Nov 2026","effect":"sweets, gifts, clothing, salon and kirana demand 1.5–3× in the run-up; most small shops shut or half-day on Diwali itself"},{"name":"Lohri","dates2026_27":"13 Jan 2027","effect":"sweets and bonfires"},{"name":"Mandi Shivratri fair","dates2026_27":"from about 6 Mar 2027","effect":"week-long fair in Mandi"},{"name":"Baisakhi","dates2026_27":"14 Apr 2027","effect":"fairs in Kangra/Una"}],"seasons":[{"months":"May–Jun","what":"Peak tourist season"},{"months":"Jul–Sep","what":"Landslides and cloudbursts; roads closed"},{"months":"Dec–Feb","what":"Snow tourism; high valleys cut off"}],"payments":{"digitalShare":"tourist towns 60–70%, villages 30–45% (Est.)","credit":"udhaar in villages; apple-season settlement in Shimla/Kullu belts"},"notes":"Himachal is a small, rural (10% urban) but relatively prosperous hill state where tourism and apples set the cash cycle. Power is cheap and was trimmed for FY27, but everything else carries a hill premium: LPG, bread and helper wages are above the plains. Plastic and thermocol bans are strictly enforced, outsiders cannot easily buy land (Sec 118), and the monsoon is now a disaster season: in 2026 alone, ~157 deaths and ~₹886 crore losses by early August. Kullu Dussehra and Mandi Shivratri are big local fair events.","factors":[{"id":"P01","cat":"Wages","name":"Minimum wage, unskilled (all HP)","value":"₹12,750/month; semi-skilled ₹13,470, skilled ₹14,790, highly skilled ₹15,390 (from 1 Apr 2025; 2026 revision pending in Oct 2026)","role":"HV","source":"https://employsome.com/hire/india/minimum-wage-india/","estimate":false},{"id":"P02","cat":"Wages","name":"Typical shop helper pay","value":"Shimla ₹11,000–14,000; Dharamshala ₹10,000–12,000; small towns ₹8,000–10,000 (often Nepali or migrant workers)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: labour scarcity in hills raises pay vs UP","estimate":true},{"id":"P03","cat":"Wages","name":"Casual daily labour rate (T2)","value":"₹550/day","role":"HV","source":"Est.: RBI Handbook rural non-farm wage ~₹500/day for HP (2023–24) plus drift","estimate":true},{"id":"P04","cat":"Rent","name":"Shop rent by tier","value":"T1 Shimla (off-Mall Road) ₹150; T2 Dharamshala/McLeodganj ₹70; T3 Chamba ₹35 per sq ft/month","role":"HV","source":"Est.: hill towns have very little flat commercial space; Mall Road prime is far higher (₹300+). Estimates","estimate":true},{"id":"P05","cat":"Energy","name":"Tariffs slightly cut for FY 2026–27","value":"HPERC trimmed tariffs across all categories","role":"HV","source":"https://mercomindia.com/himachal-pradesh-cuts-power-tariffs-across-consumer-categories-in-fy-2027","estimate":false},{"id":"P06","cat":"Energy","name":"Commercial effective rate","value":"about ₹6.5/kWh","role":"HV","source":"Est.: HP commercial energy charges ~₹5.9–6.7 plus duty; hydro-rich, low tariffs; exact FY27 figure not found","estimate":true},{"id":"P07","cat":"Energy","name":"Commercial LPG 19 kg (HP)","value":"₹2,924 (25 Oct 2026); remote valleys add cartage","role":"HV","source":"https://www.goodreturns.in/lpg-price.html","estimate":false},{"id":"P08","cat":"Energy","name":"Petrol (HP)","value":"₹103.15/litre","role":"HV","source":"https://www.goodreturns.in/petrol-price.html","estimate":false},{"id":"P09","cat":"Prices","name":"Packet milk (Milkfed HP / Amul / Verka)","value":"about ₹58/L toned","role":"HV","source":"Est.: HP sells Himfed plus plains brands; priced near Verka/Amul after the May 2026 +₹2 round (https://www.angelone.in/news/economy/amul-and-mother-dairy-increase-milk-prices-by-2-per-litre-effective-may-14-2026)","estimate":true},{"id":"P10","cat":"Prices","name":"Cup of tea, T2 (Dharamshala)","value":"₹20","role":"HV","source":"Est.: tourist-town premium; ₹10–15 in local dhabas","estimate":true},{"id":"P11","cat":"Prices","name":"Simple meal, T2","value":"₹110","role":"HV","source":"Est.: thali ₹90–150; tourist cafés far more","estimate":true},{"id":"P12","cat":"Prices","name":"Men's haircut, T2","value":"₹120","role":"HV","source":"Est.: ₹100–150","estimate":true},{"id":"P13","cat":"Prices","name":"Bread loaf 400 g","value":"₹55","role":"HV","source":"Est.: plains price + transport","estimate":true},{"id":"P14","cat":"Licences","name":"HP Shops & Commercial Establishments Act 1969","value":"Registration with Labour Dept; amended to apply to establishments with 10+ workers (smaller shops exempt); fee nominal","role":"PD","source":"Est.: HP amendment threshold from compliance guides; verify","estimate":true},{"id":"P15","cat":"Licences","name":"Tourist trade registration","value":"Hotels, homestays, guides and adventure operators register under the HP Tourism Development & Registration Act 2002","role":"PD","source":"Est.: state tourism law","estimate":true},{"id":"P16","cat":"Tax","name":"Professional tax","value":"None in HP","role":"HV","source":"Est.: HP does not levy professional tax","estimate":true},{"id":"P17","cat":"Tax","name":"GST thresholds","value":"Goods ₹40 lakh, services ₹20 lakh; HP is a special-category state for some GST options","role":"PD","source":"Est.: GST Council 2019; HP opted for ₹40 lakh (verify)","estimate":true},{"id":"P18","cat":"Rules","name":"Strict ban on polythene, thermocol and single-use plastic","value":"HP Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control Act; fines on shops using carry bags/thermocol plates since 2009–2018","role":"HV","source":"Est.: among India's earliest and strictest plastic bans","estimate":true},{"id":"P19","cat":"Rules","name":"Land purchase by non-Himachalis (Section 118)","value":"Outsiders need permission to buy land; renting/lease is the only route for most new shops","role":"HV","source":"Est.: HP Tenancy & Land Reforms Act Sec 118","estimate":true},{"id":"P20","cat":"Rules","name":"Green/entry tax on outside vehicles","value":"Entry tax on tourist vehicles; affects tourist flow costs","role":"HV","source":"Est.: HP entry tax","estimate":true},{"id":"P21","cat":"Festivals","name":"Kullu Dussehra","value":"about 20–26 Oct 2026 (starts on Vijayadashami); huge fair in Kullu","role":"HV","source":"Est.: begins on Vijayadashami (20 Oct 2026)","estimate":true},{"id":"P22","cat":"Festivals","name":"Diwali","value":"8 Nov 2026","role":"HV","source":"https://www.drikpanchang.com/festivals/diwali/diwali-date-time.html?year=2026","estimate":false},{"id":"P23","cat":"Festivals","name":"Mandi Shivratri fair","value":"from about 6 Mar 2027, ~7 days","role":"HV","source":"Est.: Mahashivratri 6 Mar 2027 (https://patnapress.com/haridwar-kumbh-2027-bathing-dates-announced/)","estimate":true},{"id":"P24","cat":"Festivals","name":"Lohri and Baisakhi","value":"13 Jan and 14 Apr 2027","role":"HV","source":"Est.: fixed solar dates","estimate":true},{"id":"P25","cat":"Seasons","name":"Summer tourist peak","value":"May–Jun and long weekends: Shimla/Manali shops 2–3×","role":"HV","source":"Est.: tourism seasonality","estimate":true},{"id":"P26","cat":"Seasons","name":"Monsoon disaster season","value":"30 Jun–9 Aug 2026: 259 roads blocked, 157 deaths, ~257 missing, losses ~₹886 crore","role":"RE","source":"https://businesstoday.in/india/story/260-roads-closed-157-deaths-257-missing-monsoon-brings-widespread-devastation-to-himachal-548536-2026-08-11","estimate":false},{"id":"P27","cat":"Seasons","name":"Snow season","value":"Dec–Feb: snow tourism in Shimla/Manali; higher valleys cut off; Lahaul/Spiti trade stops","role":"HV","source":"Est.: climate","estimate":true},{"id":"P28","cat":"Payments","name":"UPI national share","value":"86.8% of retail volume","role":"HV","source":"https://www.outlookbusiness.com/amp/story/news/upi-emerges-as-dominant-retail-payment-system-with-transaction-volume-share-at-87-careedge","estimate":false},{"id":"P29","cat":"Payments","name":"Digital share","value":"Shimla/Manali 60–70%; villages 30–45% (Est.)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: high literacy but patchy networks","estimate":true},{"id":"P30","cat":"Economy","name":"Per-capita GSDP","value":"₹3,40,848 (2025–26), ~1.35× India","role":"HV","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_states_and_union_territories_by_GDP_per_capita","estimate":false},{"id":"P31","cat":"Economy","name":"Urbanisation","value":"10.0% urban (Census 2011): India's least urban state","role":"HV","source":"https://censusindia.gov.in/census.website/data/census-tables","estimate":false},{"id":"P32","cat":"Language","name":"Languages","value":"Hindi official; Sanskrit second official; Pahari dialects (Kangri, Mandeali, Kullvi)","role":"HV","source":"Est.: HP Official Language Act","estimate":true},{"id":"P33","cat":"Schemes","name":"Mukhya Mantri Swavalamban Yojana","value":"Capital subsidy 25–35% (women and young entrepreneurs higher) and interest subvention on loans up to ₹60 lakh","role":"PD","source":"Est.: state scheme 2018; current terms not verified","estimate":true},{"id":"P34","cat":"Risks","name":"Landslide road closures","value":"NH-5/Kalka–Shimla rail disrupted; supplies stop for days","role":"RE","source":"Est.: Kalka–Shimla track damaged in 2026 monsoon (Outlook Traveller)","estimate":true},{"id":"P35","cat":"Risks","name":"Cloudburst / flash flood","value":"Kullu–Mandi 2023 and 2025 precedents; shops on river banks destroyed","role":"RE","source":"Est.: ~3–8%/yr for riverside shops","estimate":true},{"id":"P36","cat":"Risks","name":"Water shortage in Shimla","value":"Summer rationing (2018 precedent)","role":"RE","source":"Est.: seasonal","estimate":true}]}