Khewra Pink Salt, commonly known as Himalayan salt or Pink salt, is extracted at the Khewra salt mine in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Khewra is the second-largest salt mine in the world after the Sifto Salt Mine in Ontario, Canada. The salt has a very distinctive hue which comes from trace minerals such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. Apart from giving it a beautiful colour, these minerals also add a unique flavor and also support various bodily functions, including electrolyte balance, bone health, and overall hydration. Due to its relatively mild flavour compared to sea salt, pink salt is also commonly used in cooking. It is also used in products such as salt lamps, bath salts, and inhalers. These applications are based on the belief that the pink rock salt can aid in relaxation, detoxification, and the overall well-being of a person. Owing to its versatile usage, the Himalayan Pink Salt is highly revered across the world which has led to increase in its demand. Resultantly, Pakistan exports the salt to the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and a few other countries.
Despite the fact that the Himalayan pink salt is registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) with Pakistan’s IPO through PMDCC, Indian traders are labelling it as “India Himalayan Salt” and selling it in Thailand and other global markets.
Despite the fact that the Himalayan pink salt is registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) with Pakistan’s IPO through PMDCC, Indian traders are labelling it as “India Himalayan Salt” and selling it in Thailand and other global markets. As per the reports, Indian importers attain raw salt from Pakistan via the UAE at low cost ($60-80/tonne), then relabel and resell it with high markups through established networks. Pakistan exports mostly raw salt, earning just ~USD 120 million yearly from a global market valued at USD 238 million (2024), projected to reach USD 327 million by 2033 (CAGR 3.6%). Such an act not only violates sovereign branding rights but also robs Pakistan of obtaining maximum economic advantage from pink salt export.
India’s track record reveals a habitual pattern of taking products of other countries and rebranding them as its own after either minimal alterations, relabelling or aggressive marketing claims. Numerous popular bollywood tracks have been ripped from Pakistani songs. In 2022, Pakistani singer Shuja Haider accused Indian music directors of plagiarising his song “Baaghi”. Similarly, in 2021, director Nabeel Qureshi slammed an Indian singer for copying his music video “Ki Jana” sung by Shani Arshad. Singer Farhan Saeed also accused bollywood composer Salim Merchant of stealing his song “Roiyaan” in 2019.
Besides Pakistan, products originated by other countries have also met similar fate at the hands of Indians. A similar incident occurred at the February 2026 India AI Impact Summit where an Indian university professor claimed Chinese Unitree Go2 robotic dog as a homegrown. Additionally, Indian designers have also been slammed in the past for brazenly plagiarising designs. For instance, in 2018, an Indian designer Nikhil Thampi was accused of copying a design from American designer Brandon Maxwell’s collection.
While Indian producers and traders continue to shamelessly brand foreign products as indigenous, Pakistan must take effective measures to prevent the misleading branding of its products. In Thailand, foreign GIs are protected only after they are registered under the 2003 GI Act. Therefore, Pakistan must ensure urgent global registrations, value-addition, and branding reforms to protect Khewra’s identity and maximise the benefit attained from its mineral wealth.
The writer is a freelance columnist