
The trade ban between India and Pakistan has brought the Himalayan pink salt business to a standstill. For three decades, Vipan Kumar, a 50-year-old trader from Amritsar, has been importing this pink salt from Pakistan. However, after the killing of 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, New Delhi banned the import of all Pakistani goods.
Kumar’s business, which typically sold 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes of pink salt every quarter, has been severely impacted. “The profit margin is very thin, but still, the business is feasible because of the bulk sales. But the ban has completely halted the pink salt business. We don’t know when the situation would turn normal,” Kumar said.
Himalayan pink salt, mined at the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan’s Punjab province, is in high demand in India, particularly among Hindus who prefer it during religious fasts due to its non-marine origin. The salt mine, which attracts several thousand tourists annually, contains about 82 million metric tonnes of salt, with 0.36 million metric tonnes extracted every year. “The mine is very scenic and attracts several thousand tourists every year,” Fahad Ali, a journalist near the mine, said.
The ban has led to a surge in prices, with salt traders in India reporting a 15-20% increase in Kolkata. “It has been barely over a month since the announcement of the ban, and prices have already gone up,” Gurveen Singh, an Amritsar-based trader, said. The prices have risen from 45-50 rupees per kilogram to at least 60 rupees per kilogram. In Kolkata, pink salt is being sold for 70-80 rupees per kilogram.
Some traders believe the government should explore alternative countries to procure the salt. “The relations between the two countries are usually strained, and that affects the trade. Our government should look for alternative countries to procure the salt so that the supply chain is never disrupted,” Dinobondhu Mukherjee, a salt trader in Kolkata, said.
However, Pakistani exporters see the ban as an opportunity to expand their global market share. “The recent ban would help us to expand further as it would wipe off the competition from India,” Faizan Panjwani, chief operating officer of RM Salt, said. Pakistani salt exporters aim to send their salt with value-addition, rather than in raw form, to capitalize on its global demand.
The trade decline between India and Pakistan began in 2019 after an attack on security forces in Pulwama, resulting in India revoking Pakistan’s Most Favoured Nation status and imposing heavy tariffs on imports. India’s exports to Pakistan stood at $447.7 million from April 2024 to January 2025, while Pakistan’s exports to India were $420,000 during the same period. The ban has also affected industries like decorative lamps made from Himalayan pink rock salt. “We have to look for an alternative country if the supply of rock salt doesn’t come from Pakistan,” Global Aroma founder Deep said.