SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government is launching a global campaign for GI-tagged handicraft products to save the industry from fakes and counterfeits.
Department of Handicrafts and Handlooms has decided to sell only GI-tagged products in different international fairs to maintain the exclusivity of `Brand Kashmir’.
“We will be taking only GI-tagged carpets to Domotex International Fair in Germany. It is one of the biggest trade fairs. This year, the fair has concluded, but next year we will take only GI-tagged carpets,” Mehmood Ahmad Shah, Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, told The Kashmir Monitor.
Similarly, the department has decided to sell only GI-tagged Pashmina and other handicraft products at international trade fairs. “International publicity campaigns are very costly. So we are relying on trade fairs. Showcasing our GI-tagged products and campaigning for it will definitely help our handicrafts sector,” said Shah.
Official figures reveal that more than 6000 Kashmir silken carpets have been GI-tagged in the last one year to boost exports.
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.
Earlier, the government launched a massive media blitzkrieg to motivate customers to buy only GI-tagged handicrafts in a bid to counter fakes and misbranding.
The campaign has been launched across the country to help buyers identify originals from fake Kashmir handicrafts.
So far seven major crafts including 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 including Namda, Shikara, Gabba, Willow Bat, Crewel, and Chain Stitch is already under process. The dossier for GI certification of all these crafts has been submitted to the GI authorities in Chennai. The government is also pitching for GI tag for 300-year-old crafts including `Kangri’ and `Wagguv’.
The government has decided to hold 30 exhibitions across the country by the end of this fiscal. From pashmina shawls to silken carpets and from chain stitch to paper mache, the government is going the whole hog to push Kashmir exports and make up for the financial losses suffered during the pandemic. Usually, during exhibitions, Kashmir shawls, and carpets are the major highlighters. This time, the government is focusing on creating awareness about GI-based goods to underscore the exclusivity of Kashmir products.
