45-day wait for GI Tag: Kashmir’s Pashmina certification system struggles to keep pace

Srinagar, Sep 18: Kashmir’s growing demand for GI-certified Pashmina shawls has exposed a significant capacity bottleneck in the government’s certification system, with the sole Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre in Srinagar facing a backlog that has been brought down from three months to around 45 days but continues to leave artisans and traders waiting for certification.
Officials said the facility at the Craft Development Institute (CDI), Srinagar, is currently receiving requests for around 200 to 250 certifications every day, while its present capacity has increased to around 150 to 170 tests a day. The gap has resulted in a continuing backlog despite efforts by the authorities to expand the facility.
The figures point to a structural mismatch between demand and available certification capacity. While the laboratory has substantially increased its daily testing from around 40 tests earlier, the present output remains below the reported daily demand, meaning the backlog cannot be eliminated unless capacity is increased further.
The problem assumes importance because GI certification has become an increasingly important means of establishing the authenticity of Kashmir Pashmina in the market. The CDI’s official certification platform identifies certified products as Kashmir Pashmina and provides QR-based verification of certification details.
According to officials, the certification centre currently operates three teams comprising around 17 people, while at least 15 additional personnel, including seven certification experts, are considered necessary to meet the growing workload. Four personnel are undergoing training at the Wool Research Association in Thane, while new equipment, including a digital microscope and an Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser-2000, is also being procured.
The Handloom and Handicrafts Department has set a target of conducting at least 50,000 tests during 2026-27. The department reported that 11,000 tests were conducted in 2024-25 and 24,000 in 2025-26, indicating a sharp increase in the number of products being processed through the certification system.
For traders and artisans, however, increased demand is also creating pressure on the existing certification mechanism. A Srinagar-based Pashmina trader quoted in the recent industry report said customers increasingly specifically seek GI-tagged shawls, while the existing certification limits for registered firms and individual artisans need to be increased to meet demand.
The certification centre was established by the Craft Development Institute in 2013 for testing, certification and labelling of Kashmir Pashmina under the GI framework. Since 2023, the centre has also been involved in testing, labelling and certification of five additional GI crafts, including Kashmir Sozni, Kani Shawl, Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving, Kashmir Paper Machie and Khatamband.
The capacity issue therefore raises a wider question for the handicrafts sector: as demand for authenticated Kashmir products expands, whether the certification infrastructure is being scaled up quickly enough to support artisans and businesses rather than becoming a point of delay.
The department has begun addressing the bottleneck through additional training, equipment and plans to expand human resources. Until those measures translate into higher processing capacity, however, the 45-day waiting period remains an indication that the certification system is struggling to match the pace of demand for one of Kashmir’s most valuable traditional crafts. [KNT]