Shimla, July 4 -- Himachal Pradesh has sought faster rail connectivity, lower logistics costs and stronger institutional support from the Centre to enhance the competitiveness of its export sector, citing the unique challenges faced by hill states. Representing the state at the Board of Trade (BoT) meeting chaired by Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, Himachal industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said state's exports have witnessed remarkable growth, increasing from around Rs.500 cr in 2003-04 to Rs.20,414 crore in 2024-25. Chauhan said the high logistics costs associated with the state's difficult terrain remain a major impediment to export growth and urged the Centre to provide targeted infrastructure and policy support to overcome these challenges. A key demand raised by state was the early completion of the proposed Chandigarh-Baddi rail project, which, the minister said, would significantly reduce transportation costs and enable the Inland Container Depot at Baddi to function at its full potential.htc...