Kashmir’s famed hand-knitted carpets, known across the globe for their intricate designs and unmatched craftsmanship, are set to enter a new era of revival.
Union Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao on Wednesday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to preserving and promoting this centuries-old legacy while equipping artisans with modern tools and resources to meet global standards.
At a special function held at the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT) campus in Srinagar, the Secretary distributed Modified Modern Steel Carpet Looms to artisans under the Integrated Wool Development Programme (IWDP). The initiative, she said, is aimed at not just easing the weavers’ workload but also enhancing efficiency and design precision, thereby giving Kashmiri carpets a competitive edge in international markets.
Expanding the focus beyond carpets, Rao also inaugurated the Animal Fibre Quality Assurance Laboratory at SKUAST-Kashmir’s Faculty of Veterinary Sciences in Shuhama. She stressed that safeguarding the purity of Pashmina, hailed as the “gold standard” of India’s natural fibres, remains a top priority, and assured that the Centre will continue strengthening testing, certification, and design development facilities to empower artisans and boost Kashmir’s craft economy.
She said that the Ministry is working towards creating a vibrant testing and certification ecosystem for Pashmina and other animal fibres. “Certification, numbering, and coding must be smarter so that every labelled product is traceable. In the next two to three years, we should have reliable data on the number of genuine Pashmina products entering the market,” the secretary said.
The Union secretary encouraged the UT government to submit more proposals to the Ministry of Textiles, particularly for upgradation of testing and certification facilities. She stressed the importance of reviving traditional designs while simultaneously incorporating contemporary patterns to strengthen the global appeal of Kashmiri handicrafts.
“I have come from Delhi along with a team of senior officers to gain firsthand insight into introducing new benchmarks that will strengthen backward and forward linkages in the craft sector,” she stated.
Earlier, she visited various sections of IICT, where the Director IICT briefed her about ongoing training programmes, the design studio and the NABL-accredited laboratory. She expressed keen interest in scaling up IICT’s laboratory facilities, noting that special funding has already been provided under the technology component of the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP).
The Union secretary also visited the Pashmina Testing & Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) and assured full support for procuring state-of-the-art machines to ensure the authenticity of Kashmiri Pashmina and other handicrafts.
The Union Secretary interacted with Padma Shri and National Award-winning artisans, including Ghulam Hassan Khan (Patchwork Jamawar), Ghulam Nabi Dar (Wood Carving), and Farooq Ahmad Mir (Kani Shawl), as well as budding entrepreneurs like Shahnawaz Carpets and Beenish Crewel Toys.
She distributed Modified Modern Steel Carpet Looms among artisan clusters from Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Kulgam and Srinagar districts. She also assured consideration of a proposal submitted by the Department of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir, for the procurement of 500 additional looms for distribution.