With nearly 5 lakh artisans and weavers now registered and handicraft exports running in billions, Jammu & Kashmir is steadily expanding the institutional and market ecosystem around its traditional crafts, with Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today taking stock of the initiatives underway to further consolidate this momentum across the Union Territory.
The review meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce; Director, Industries, Jammu; Director, Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir/Jammu; Managing Director, J&K Handicrafts & Handloom Corporation (JKHHMC); and senior representatives of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Srinagar, Craft Development Institute (CDI) and Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT), Srinagar.
The Chief Secretary undertook a detailed assessment of the initiatives aimed at upgrading laboratories, developing craft villages and Common Facility Centres (CFCs), strengthening wool processing and testing facilities, promoting quality assurance and GI-tagging, besides improving market linkages and access to institutional credit for artisans and weavers.
The Chief Secretary directed the Department to expedite completion of all ongoing projects in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, observing that the benefits of these investments should reach artisans and the wider craft ecosystem on the ground without delay.
He laid particular emphasis on strengthening the quality-testing and certification ecosystem, including upgradation of laboratories, development of craft villages, CFCs for dyeing and other specialised activities, wool processing facilities, testing infrastructure and GI-tagging of finished products.
Dulloo called for introduction of vocational and skill-oriented courses at NIFT Srinagar, including diploma and certificate programmes, to provide local youth greater access to the national-level institution. He observed that such courses could also contribute towards preservation and revival of traditional and dying crafts by creating a new generation of skilled artisans.
On GI-tagged products, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for an effective traceability and tracking mechanism to establish the authenticity of products reaching the market. He directed the Department to ascertain and maintain a clear record of the number of GI-tagged products manufactured and labelled so far.
The Chief Secretary further called for leveraging Internet of Things (IoT)-based technology to determine the working hours and effort involved in producing individual craft products. He observed that such data could help ensure that remuneration paid to artisans is commensurate with the time and skill invested, thereby protecting their earning potential and making traditional crafts economically viable for the younger generation.
Earlier the Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh highlighted that the sector has maintained a strong export trajectory, with handicraft exports reaching ₹817.39 Cr during FY 2025-26 and ₹73.85 Cr already been recorded during the first quarter of ensuing financial year.
He further divulged that a substantial expansion of the sector's institutional base, with 4,61,381 artisans and weavers registered across Jammu & Kashmir with another 13,264 artisans been registered, including 7,919 in Kashmir and 5,345 in Jammu this year.
Giving further details a presentation was made by Director, Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir, Mussarat-ul-Islam, apprising that the Department is actively promoting the Credit Card Scheme for Artisans/Weavers, under which beneficiaries can avail credit support of up to ₹2 lakh, backed by 7 per cent interest subvention for five years.
Adding that during the current financial year, 2,750 cases have been sponsored this year resulting in disbursement of ₹868.60 lakh so far to the artisans of the UT.
It was made out that the Department has analysed 1,63,875 artisans in Kashmir and 34,520 in Jammu for credit coverage. While around 56 per cent have been covered under credit schemes, the remaining 44 per cent have been identified for focused financial onboarding.
The process of data synchronisation and automated interest subsidy is also being strengthened through J&K Bank API integration and Aadhaar seeding, facilitating more efficient delivery of financial benefits.
The meeting was also apprised about the progress made under the Department's capital expenditure programme. It was revealed that at Sonpah Craft Village, Budgam, a formal land transfer order has been issued to the Industries & Commerce Department. Against the total project cost of ₹10 Cr, the first tranche of ₹4.50 Cr has already been released.
The Pashmina Testing & Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) has been substantially upgraded with five advanced equipment categories, including a Projection Microscope, OFDA-4000, two High-Resolution Digital Microscopes and a Scanning Electron Microscope. The enhanced infrastructure has increased testing capacity nearly three-fold, reduced the testing waitlist by around 40 per cent to 30–45 days and raised throughput to 120–140 tests per day.
Similarly in Jammu division the Director, H&H Jammu, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh gave out that three Common Facility Centres for bamboo product diversification and agarbatti manufacturing have also been completed at Sallan, Sumb and Billawar, at project costs of ₹2.87 Cr, ₹3.42 Cr and ₹3.39 Cr respectively.
The presentation highlighted J&K's growing distinction in quality assurance and intellectual-property protection, with 63 crafts registered under GI, comprising 39 crafts from Kashmir and 24 from Jammu.
A total of 97,178 GI labels have so far been issued, including 14,714 during the current financial year.
In a significant technological milestone, the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT), Srinagar, has GI-tagged and labelled 22,500 carpets using QR-code technology, enabling enhanced authentication and traceability of the products.
The Department is pursuing further expansion of the GI portfolio, with six new crafts proposed for GI registration in Kashmir, including Copperware and Wagguv reed mats, while 10 new dossiers for Jammu crafts, including Jammu Dogri Suit and Palm Leaf Craft, are under evaluation.
The meeting was informed that collaborations with national institutions are being leveraged to bridge traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, skills and markets.
Training programmes under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) initiative are being undertaken in collaboration with NIFT Srinagar. A proposal for dedicated 15-day, one-month and one-year certificate/diploma courses has also been submitted to the Administrative Department.
Further, 1,871 artisans and weavers have been onboarded onto the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), providing them an additional avenue to access wider markets and reduce dependence on intermediary channels.
The meeting also reviewed the timelines for development of the proposed flagship shopping destinations aimed at providing prominent market platforms to local handicrafts, handlooms and other products.
In this direction the tender for the PM Ekta Mall at Rail Head, Jammu is scheduled to be floated soon, with work allotment targeted by mid October and commencement of construction by the end of month. Similarly for Kashmir Haat, Srinagar, the PM Unity Mall spread over 1.77 lakh sq. ft. with 61 commercial units, is scheduled to enter the tendering stage with e-NIT proposed to be floated followed by opening of bids on September 14, 2026.
The Chief Secretary emphasised that the combined focus on infrastructure, quality certification, GI protection, affordable credit, skill development and digital market access should translate into higher and more sustainable incomes for artisans, while preserving J&K's rich traditional craft heritage and positioning its products more strongly in national and international markets.
