SRINAGAR: Handicrafts and handloom products worth Rs 2,567 crore have been exported from Kashmir Valley over the past two financial years and the first three-quarters of the current fiscal.
However, global conflicts have impacted exports in the current financial year, a DIPR statement reads.
A spokesperson of the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir, said that exports are expected to reach Rs 3,000 crore over three years by the end of the current fiscal year.
According to departmental figures, Kani and Sozni shawls accounted for Rs 1,105 crore in exports, while hand-knotted carpets contributed Rs 728 crore over the last three years. Other exported products include crewel, papier mâché, chain stitch, and wood carving.
The Department has a subsidy scheme in place to promote exports, offering an incentive of 10 percent of the total volume of handloom and handicraft export products to any country, with a maximum reimbursement of Rs 5 crore for eligible exporters registered with the Department.
To support artisans, the Department has established a Design Studio at the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology and developed prototypes through the School of Designs and the Craft Development Institute. Various schemes, including the Credit Card Scheme, Mudra, Financial Assistance for Cooperatives, Karkhandar Scheme, and Education Scholarship for artisans’ children, are being implemented to aid craftsmen.
Under the National Wool Policy, 100 weavers have received modern steel carpet looms in Kashmir at a total cost of RS 43.70 lakh. The Department plans to procure an additional 250 improved looms for distribution in the next financial year.
The spokesperson highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen testing and QR coding of GI-registered craft products to prevent counterfeit sales. The Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) and IICT lab for carpets have been equipped with additional manpower and resources. The backlog of 1,700 craft product tests at PTQCC as of February 5 has been reduced to 671 by February 21, with further improvements expected following staff training at the Wool Research Association, Thane.
A proposal for new equipment, including a Scanning Electron Microscope and Digital Microscope, has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Textiles to enhance the speed of testing and certification at PTQCC.
The Department has also focused on training women artisans, with 17,182 women trained in various crafts at 432 Elementary and Advanced Training Centres over the past four years. A stipend of Rs 36.27 crore has been disbursed among the trainees as part of the Department’s core initiative to link them with master craftsmen under the Karkhandar Scheme.
