SRINAGAR: For the first time, more than 6000 Kashmir silken carpets have been GI-tagged to boost exports.
Thanks to GI certification, QR code-based tagging has been fast-tracked in the last nine months.
“We started in March last year. Till now, 6000 carpets have been GI-tagged, which is quite a healthy number,” Mehmood Ahmad Shah, Director of Handicrafts and Handlooms, told The Kashmir Monitor.
The QR code-based Geographic Indication (GI) label has been launched as part of efforts to check the cheating and misbranding that has badly dented the carpet industry of Kashmir
The QR code-based label captures vital parameters of the carpet including knots per square inch, the material used, etc. This shall help check cheating and misbranding besides helping in building customer trust.
The GI tag was announced after Srinagar made it to the coveted list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the Crafts and Folk Arts Category for 2021.
Any carpet dealer can apply for the GI license and get their products checked to increase their brand value. It is like testing a carpet. It goes through various processes. Customers can use their mobile phones and scan the QR code. He will get a certificate containing all information. It is not costly. One has to shell out Rs 150 per test and get a GI tag.
“We need to create awareness about the GI across the globe. Many people do not know about it. Once we can make people understand, our exports will get a boost,” said Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad, president, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).
Official data reveal that Kashmir handicraft exports are on an upward trajectory. Official figures reveal that handcrafts worth Rs 375.97 crore have been exported from April- September 2022. Of which shawls and rumals worth Rs 186.45 crore were exported to different countries. It was followed by carpets with exports touching Rs 91.08 crore.
Likewise paper machie worth Rs 3.38 crore; chain stitch, and crewel worth Rs 65.13 crore, and wood carving worth Rs 1.75 crore were exported in the last two quarters. Other handcraft products worth Rs 28.18 crore were also exported during that period.
In 2021-22, handicrafts products worth 563.13 crore were exported to different markets. Carpets topped the list with exports touching Rs 251.06 crore. It was followed by shawls and rumals with exports touching Rs 165.98 crore.
Likewise, paper machie worth Rs 13.25 crore, chain stitch and crewel worth Rs 79.56 crore, and wood carving worth Rs 4.20 crore were exported in the last two quarters. Other handcraft products worth Rs 49.08 crore were also exported in the last fiscal.
