January 27, 2023
3 mins read

Kashmir Tweed to join GI tag club

The Handicrafts and Handloom Department has been facilitating the promotion of GI-tagged products symbolizing the empowerment of the artisans…reports Asian Lite News

Kashmir handicrafts feed 3.25 lakh people, mostly in downtown Srinagar, and brings in an impressive Rs 2,000 crore every year to the valley. The Department of Handicrafts and Handloom has submitted the dossier for registration of Kashmir Tweed to Intellectual Property India, Chennai, an apex-level organization for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.

The Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, (H&H) Kashmir, while commenting on the downswing of the centuries old craft of Weaving of Tweed said that the GI certification of Kashmir Tweed, will give a fresh impetus to the craft. The primary goal of registering it is to seek protection for Tweed of Kashmir, which further promotes and pushes it to grow on a global scale.

“The department felt it necessary to get Kashmir Tweed recognized on National and International markets owing to its uniqueness of having 100 per cent wool unlike the one produced in the rest of the country where it has also the blend of viscose, said Director H&H adding that Tweed cloth is available across the globe, in Kashmir, it has been in the market for centuries.

Initially produced in parts of south Kashmir, mostly in the Pulwama district, a number of areas in Kashmir periphery adopted this art to manage the requirements of the UT. Tweed is being produced in parts of north and central Kashmir like Bandipore and Budgam as well. “There is not much difference between the famous Harris Tweed and the Kashmir Tweed, however Kashmir Tweed could not have much presence in the global markets because of processing deficiencies and branding”, said Director H&H. By registering Kashmir Tweed for GI it is expected that all the stakeholders involved shall get benefitted, he added.

UT of J&K already has two major facilities for processing of the wool, one at UNDP under the ambit of Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir and another facility at JKI which has been at fore front in ensuring a sustained supply of raw material as well as manufacturing of Tweed in the valley.

The Handicrafts and Handloom Department has been facilitating the promotion of GI-tagged products symbolizing the empowerment of the artisans. These initiatives are aimed to help recognize and promote age-old crafts and methods that are otherwise in danger of being lost due to urbanization and industrialization.

So far seven major crafts from Kashmir namely Kani Shawl, Pashmina, Sozni, Paper-Machie, Walnut Wood Carving, Khatamband, and Hand Knotted Carpets have already been GI certified. Besides, the process of GI registration of seven more crafts viz., Kashmir Namda, Wagguv, Shikara, Gabba, Kashmir Willow Bat, Crewel and Chain Stitch is already under process and the dossier for GI certification of all these crafts has been submitted with the GI authorities in Chennai.

The Department of Handicrafts and Handloom from last 2 years has been continuously upgrading the testing and labelling facilities for GI certification of different crafts and because of the aggressive promotion of GI certification of different crafts by the Department, a huge number of manufacturers and exporters are approaching the department for testing and labelling of the GI certified products.

The Department is also in process of launching the QR-Code-based GI labelling of 6 crafts as QR-Code-GI labelling for Carpets was already initiated, and additionally, non-GI crafts will also be brought under the ambit of QR code Labeling, said Director H&H.

Moreover, the visitors have also shown much interest in purchasing exclusive GI-certified crafts post these efforts of promoting Geographical Indication throughout the country and away.

ALSO READ-Depicting the autumn in Kashmir

Previous Story

Modi thanks world leaders for R-Day wishes

Next Story

India launches first intranasal Covid vaccine

Latest from Business

EVs Drive Cleaner Cities

Each EV is equipped with GPS tracking for real-time monitoring and efficiently serves the city’s 159.46 square kilometre area The use of electric vehicles (EVs) in household waste collection is ushering in

Residential Market Sees Revival

Sales jump 77% from FY19 to FY25 as luxury housing, office leasing, logistics, and tech-led investments drive real estate recovery. India’s residential real estate market has witnessed a dramatic revival in the

Recovery From Realty Stress Rises

Crisil expects residential demand in these markets to grow by 7–9 per cent in FY26, offering critical support to projects now being revived through restructuring Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) are expected to

Qatar Debut For Tata

Tata Motors emphasised that its international offerings are backed by strong research and development capabilities, with vehicles that are thoroughly tested and adapted to local conditions Tata Motors has unveiled its all-new
Go toTop