Srinagar, Oct 10: Jammu and Kashmir has secured Geographical Indication (GI) tags for 18 traditional handicrafts, but exporters say a single testing laboratory for the region is hobbling efforts to convert growing buyer interest into firm orders.
According to a written reply tabled in the Legislative Assembly as per Kashmir Convener the Industries and Commerce Minister said GI registration has been secured for 18 traditional handicrafts — 15 from Kashmir and three from Jammu.
The list includes Kashmir Hand-Knotted Carpet, Kashmir Pashmina, Kashmir Sozni, Kashmir Papier-Mâché, Kani Shawl, Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving, Khatamband, Crewel, Namda, Gabba, Chainstitch, Wagguv, Kashmir Tweed, Shikara, Basohli Pashmina, Basohli Painting and Rajouri Chikriwood.
The government said certification and GI labelling is being carried out through the Pashmina Testing & Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) and the Carpet Testing Lab at the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT), Srinagar. It said additional machinery has been procured to strengthen the labs and raise daily capacity, “thereby reducing waiting time for artisans.”
Exporters, however, point out that for products outside Pashmina and carpets, there is effectively one testing facility for the entire region, and the process can stretch into months.
The government said a QR code-based GI labelling system has been launched and around 70,000 handmade products have been tested and engraved with secure GI labels since inception. In a separate reply in March, it said 55,113 GI labels had been issued so far, with testing, certification and QR coding done at the IICT Lab, PTQCC and the Craft Development Institute, Srinagar.
The government has acknowledged that misbranding — including the sale of non-Kashmiri products as genuine — has emerged as a major challenge. It said the Quality Control Division is enforcing standards under the Jammu and Kashmir Handicrafts Quality Control Act, 1978 and the Jammu and Kashmir Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1978. Inspection teams have been constituted and penalties imposed: ₹90,000 in 2023-24, ₹12.95 lakh in 2024-25 and ₹11.5 lakh in 2025-26.
Qazi Touseef, an exporter and spokesperson for the Kashmir Economic Alliance, said GI certification was helping establish authenticity. “GI certification and Pashmina testing are helping build buyer confidence, establish authenticity and create greater recognition for genuine Kashmiri products,” he told Kashmir Convener.
But he flagged the lack of testing infrastructure, saying there is only one testing laboratory and the process can take months. “The government’s efforts to promote GI-tagged goods will therefore need to be matched by adequate testing facilities, effective checks against misrepresentation and support for producers seeking access to new markets,” Touseef said.
Zahoor Ahmad, a Pashmina shawl trader from Srinagar, said the current system was too limited for the market it now serves. The department certifies 20 shawls a month for a registered firm and three shawls for an artisan on Fridays each week, he said, arguing that the process needs to be expanded to match demand.
Parvez Ahmad, a handicraft exporter, said machine-made goods passing off as handmade were hurting artisan incomes and damaging Kashmir’s global reputation. “GI certification guarantees authenticity and ensures our crafts remain valued in international markets,” he said.
Manzoor Ahmad Wangoo, chairman of the Nigeen Tourism Traders Association, said the certification infrastructure was overwhelmed. “Long waiting periods are hurting both producers and exporters. We need more testing machines, more trained staff, and faster processing to meet growing awareness and demand,” he said.
Official sources said the PTQCC at the Craft Development Institute in Srinagar receives roughly 200 to 250 Pashmina certification requests a day but handles about 150, leaving a minimum wait of 45 days. The centre carried out 11,000 tests in 2024-25 and 24,000 in 2025-26, with a target of 50,000 for 2026-27.
The lab conducts microscopic testing of Pashmina threads below 16 microns. Three teams with around 17 people are currently deployed, but officials believe the centre needs at least 15 more staff members, including about seven specialists, to keep up with the rising workload.
A senior official at Handicrafts and Handloom Kashmir told Kahsmir Convener the administration was trying to strengthen the certification pipeline through training and equipment upgrades. Four employees are being trained at the Wool Research Association in Thane, while new tools such as a digital microscope and the Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser-2000 are being added, he said.
A GI tag identifies products whose qualities, reputation or characteristics are linked to a particular geographical area. In Kashmir, these include Pashmina, saffron, carpets, Kani shawls, papier-mache and walnut wood carving.
But a GI tag alone does not guarantee that every product sold under a geographical name is authentic. Verification, testing and enforcement remain central to protecting consumers and ensuring genuine artisans benefit, official said.
The sale of products made outside Jammu and Kashmir under names associated with the region is another concern. Such practices can weaken consumer confidence and make it harder for local businesses to distinguish their products in competitive markets he added.
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