From languishing to flourishing : Karkhandar scheme revives Kashmiri crafts

Srinagar, Aug 20: Department of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir, continues its committed efforts towards the revival and sustenance of the valley’s rich craft heritage through the Karkhandar Scheme, a flagship intervention aimed at rejuvenating languishing crafts and empowering artisans, officials said on Wednesday.Under the scheme, skilled artisans receive institutional support, training, and financial assistance to facilitate the transfer of traditional skills to the younger generation through identified State, National, and Shilp Guru awardees operating their own Karkhanas, a spokesperson of the department said in a statement issued here.He added that the initiative not only aims to preserve age-old crafts but also seeks to establish sustainable models of craft-based entrepreneurship, thereby enhancing livelihood opportunities for master craftsmen.The spokesperson said that in the current financial year, the department has sanctioned 10 new units under the Karkhandar Scheme, with each unit being supported by a budget allocation of approximately Rs 3 lakh. These sanctioned units, he said, will act as vibrant hubs for skill development, design innovation and capacity building, ensuring that the crafts of Kashmir remain competitive in contemporary markets.“The department’s interventions under the scheme are designed to provide artisans with market linkages, raw material support, upgraded tools and exposure to new design trends. In addition, young trainees are incentivised to learn directly from master craftsmen, thereby securing the continuity of traditional crafts and making them economically viable,” he said.The spokesperson said the Karkhandar Scheme has yielded encouraging results in reviving crafts that were once on the verge of extinction. “With 76 units sanctioned at Rs 137.89 lakh over the last four years, the department remains steadfast in its resolve to safeguard Kashmir’s priceless craft legacy while ensuring the socio-economic upliftment of the artisan community,” he said, adding that the department aims at establishing at least 25-30 units in the current financial year.