SRINAGAR : The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday launched ‘JK Karigari’, an official marketplace for authentic handicrafts and local products from the Union Territory, at the Bharatiya Vyapar Mahotsav in New Delhi.
The initiative, launched by the Housing and Urban Development Department under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), aims to connect artisans and Self Help Groups (SHGs) with national and global markets while preserving J&K’s traditional crafts and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The platform will showcase authentic Kashmiri products, including Pashmina, Kani and Sozni shawls, papier-mache, walnut wood carving, crewel embroidery and carpets. Jammu crafts such as Chabri, macrame home and devotional décor, wooden crafts and traditional food products will also be featured.
According to the department, every product listed on JK Karigari will carry a QR code containing details of the artisan, district and Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The system is intended to ensure traceability and authenticity, while payments will go directly to artisan groups without intermediaries.
Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur, described the initiative as a “game changer” for urban women artisans and said it would provide them with a government-backed platform to access markets beyond their local areas.
She said around 4,000 SHGs involving nearly 50,000 women are currently associated with DAY-NULM across J&K. The department is also exploring further inter-state collaborations to expand the market reach of SHG products.
Kaur said the initiative brings together heritage, technology and inclusive growth, with the objective of ensuring that artisans receive a fair price while consumers get authentic products directly from their makers.
The launch also builds on an agreement signed in November 2024 between the National Urban Livelihoods Mission, J&K, and the Uttar Pradesh Handicrafts Development and Marketing Corporation to strengthen market linkages for SHG products and handicrafts of J&K and Uttar Pradesh.
Officials said SHG members have undergone skill-upgradation and capacity-building programmes aimed at improving craftsmanship, product quality and market readiness.
The launch was attended by MPs Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzaan, Sajjad Kichloo and Gurvinder Singh Oberoi, Commissioner Secretary Mandeep Kaur and senior officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department, along with SHG members and other stakeholders.
SHG beneficiaries also shared their experiences and thanked the government for providing a wider marketing platform, saying access to markets had remained one of their major challenges.
