SRINAGAR: The export of Kashmir’s hand-knotted carpets has received a significant boost as the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration (NABL) renewed the accreditation of the Carpet Testing Lab at the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT).
KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
The NABL accreditation, crucial for ensuring quality standards, strengthens the lab’s role in testing, GI tagging, and labelling of Kashmiri carpets through a Cloud-based QR Code Mechanism.
According to a DIPR statement issued to the press, IICT Director Zubair Ahmad confirmed that the renewal, granted under No. 12654, followed a technical audit and on-site surveillance conducted by NABL experts in November last year..
“Since its establishment in 2022, the IICT lab has tested and certified around 16,000 carpets, enhancing their credibility in international markets,” Zubair Ahmad said.
Ahmad urged carpet industry stakeholders to utilise the lab’s GI testing and labelling services to combat counterfeit products and build buyer trust.
The IICT testing lab became the first accredited textile lab in Jammu and Kashmir in 2023, meeting ISO/IEC standards.
Ahmad said that the renewed accreditation would further support quality certification for both hand-knotted carpets and other non-GI textile products in the region.
