NEW DELHI, JULY 30: A delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), led by President Javid Ahmad Tenga, met with Giriraj Singh, Minister of Textiles, Government of India, at Udyog Bhawan in New Delhi. The KCCI team included Treasurer Zubair Mahajan and Executive Committee Member Shaukat Khan.
The delegation sought the Minister’s intervention to promote handicraft and artisan products and to facilitate participation in Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) events organized by various Export Promotion Councils in India and abroad. They emphasized the importance of the handicraft sector, which supports the livelihoods of tens of thousands of artisans and weavers.
The KCCI discussed the long-pending inauguration of the Pre-Export Pashmina DNA Testing Lab at SKUAST Srinagar. They demanded accreditation of the lab with NABL and the Wildlife Department at Srinagar/Delhi, where over 95% of Pashmina is manufactured. The KCCI emphasized that certification from this lab should be mandatory for customs clearance of export consignments to avoid seizures and delays, which can result in significant losses for exporters and joblessness for the artisan community.
The KCCI highlighted that Jammu & Kashmir’s renowned hand-embroidered woolen and Pashmina shawls provide employment to thousands. The Central Government replaced the MEIS with ROSCTL for woolen and Pashmina shawls, but a cap of Rs. 438/- per export was imposed. This cap does not reflect the high value of many shawls, which can cost thousands of rupees. The KCCI called for a revision of this cap and the introduction of a separate HSN code for value-added and Pashmina shawls to ensure adequate benefits for exporters.
The KCCI proposed declaring specific areas as handicraft clusters. They cited the example of Kanihama village in Budgam District, which was declared a Handloom Village due to its dense production of Kani Shawls/Pashmina and other handicrafts. They suggested similar recognition for the North belt of Kashmir, known for handmade silk carpets, and other districts with significant handicraft activity.
To promote exports of handicrafts, the KCCI proposed conducting market study tours to European, Middle Eastern, and US markets.
“Minister Giriraj Singh appreciated the concerns expressed by the KCCI about the handicrafts and the weaver/artisan community,” said Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, Secretary General of KCCI. “He gave a positive response to the suggestions and demands raised by the President KCCI and assured that the issues will be resolved soon. The President KCCI expressed his gratitude to the Minister for his time and understanding and invited him to visit Kashmir where KCCI will organize a handicrafts stakeholders event. The Minister accepted the KCCI President’s invitation.”
