Kashmir Shawls, Carpet lead in exports

Srinagar, Feb 22: The world-famous handicraft and handloom products worth ₹2,567 crore have been exported from Kashmir valley in the last two financial years and the first three quarters of the current fiscal.
However, the exports in the current financial year have been hit by global conflicts.
Giving details, a spokesperson of the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir, hoped that the exports are expected to touch cumulatively ₹3000 crore for 3 years, by the end of the last quarter of the CFY.
As per the figures available with the Department, while Kani and Sozni shawls lead exports worth ₹1105 crore, hand-knotted carpet exports stood at ₹728 crore in the last three years. The other products exported include crewel, papier mache, chain stitch and wood carving.
The spokesman further stated that the Department shall facilitate export of hand-made Kashmir products for which a subsidy scheme is available, giving incentive of 10% of the total volume of handloom/ handicraft export products to any country with maximum reimbursement up to ₹5 crore in favour of the eligible exporters registered with the Department,” he added.
Highlighting the Government’s strategy for welfare of artisan community, the spokesman said the Department has a well-established Design Studio in the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology and unique prototypes conceived by the School of Designs and Craft Development Institute. “The artisans can access these contemporary designs and packaging models to add value to their products in niche high-end markets,” he added.
For welfare of artisans, the Department has several flagship schemes in operation including Credit Card Scheme, Mudra, Financial Assistance Scheme for Cooperatives, Karkhandar Scheme and Education Scholarship for the children of craftsmen.
Under the National Wool Policy, the department has selected 100 weaver beneficiaries for distribution of free modified modern steel carpet looms in Kashmir ata total cost of Rs.43.70 lakh and the department will pitch for another 250 improvised looms for distribution in the next financial year.
Emphasizing upon the department’s focus on testing and QR coding of GI registered craft products to weed out sale of counterfeit products, the spokesperson stated that the department has augmented manpower and equipment at its premier Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) and IICT lab for carpets. “The waitlist of 6 craft products including Sozni, Kani, Walnut Wood Carving, Khatamband, Papier Mache and Kashmir Pashmina at PTQCC has come down from 1700 on February 5 to 671 as on February 21, after strengthening of manpower,” he said, adding that the lab will be further strengthened after more staff shall undergo necessary training at the Wool Research Association, Thane.
He further stated that the proposal for additional equipment including Scanning Electron Microscope and a Digital Microscope have been submitted in the Union Ministry of Textiles, which shall further enhance the speed of testing and certification in PTQCC.
Laying stress upon promotion of training of female artisans, the spokesman stated that as many as 17,182 women have been trained in various crafts at 432 Elementary and Advanced Training Centres of the Department in the last 4 years. “Stipend to the tune of ₹36.27 crore has also been disbursed amongst these trainees,” he said, while describing training as the core activity of the Department, aimed at linking them with master craftsmen under the Karkandhar Scheme.