SRINAGAR, JAN24: The Department of Handicrafts and Handloom has submitted the dossier for registration of Kashmir Tweed to Intellectual Property India, Chennai, an apex-level agency for the registration and improved protection of geographical indicators pertaining to commodities in India.
While remarking on the decline of the centuries-old skill of tweed weaving, the Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, (H&H) Kashmir stated that the GI certification of Kashmir Tweed will provide a new push to the craft. The fundamental purpose of registering it is to obtain protection for Kashmir Tweed, which supports and drives it to flourish on a worldwide scale.
Because of its rarity of having 100% wool, the department believed it was vital to have Kashmir Tweed acknowledged on national and international markets.
The Department of Handicrafts and Handloom from last 2 years has been continuously upgrading the testing and labelling facilities for GI certification of different crafts and because of the aggressive promotion of GI certification of different crafts by the Department, a huge number of manufacturers and exporters are approaching the department for testing and labelling of the GI certified products.
The Department is also in process of launching the QR-Code-based GI labelling of 6 crafts as QR-Code-GI labelling for Carpets was already initiated, and additionally, non-GI crafts will also be brought under the ambit of QR code Labeling, said Director H&H.
Initially produced in parts of south Kashmir, mostly in the Pulwama district, a number of areas in Kashmir periphery adopted this art to manage the requirements of the UT. Tweed is being produced in parts of north and central Kashmir like Bandipore and Budgam as well. “There is not much difference between the famous Harris Tweed and the Kashmir Tweed, however Kashmir Tweed could not have much presence in the global markets because of processing deficiencies and branding”, said Director H&H. By registering Kashmir Tweed for GI it is expected that all the stakeholders involved shall get benefitted, he added.
UT of J&K already has two major facilities for processing of the wool, one at UNDP under the ambit of Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir and another facility at JKI which has been at fore front in ensuring a sustained supply of raw material as well as manufacturing of Tweed in the valley.
The Handicrafts and Handloom Department has been facilitating the promotion of GI-tagged products symbolizing the empowerment of the artisans. These initiatives are aimed to help recognize and promote age-old crafts and methods that are otherwise in danger of being lost due to urbanization and industrialization.
So far seven major crafts from Kashmir namely 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 viz., Kashmir Namda, Wagguv, Shikara, Gabba, Kashmir Willow Bat, Crewel and Chain Stitch is already under process and the dossier for GI certification of all these crafts has been submitted with the GI authorities in Chennai.
Moreover, the visitors have also shown much interest in purchasing exclusive GI-certified crafts post these efforts of promoting Geographical Indication throughout the country and away.
