Jammu, Mar 25: The launch of Geographical Indication (GI) for the famed hand-knotted Kashmiri Carpets by Lieutenant Governor, ManojSinha, to revive the sheen and glory of Kashmiri Carpet Industry has bestowed a new lease of life to the carpet trade in Kashmir.
The GI certifies the genuineness of Hand-knotted Kashmir Carpets with relevant information of the manufacturer, weaver, district and raw material.
An official of the Handicrafts Department said the innovation will go a long way in preserving the quality of hand-knotted carpets.
The artisans and traders dealing with the Kashmiri carpet say the initiative was much needed to see Kashmir carpets flourishing again.
On February 11 this year, history was created with the launch of QR-code by Lieutenant Governor, ManojSinha, for handmade Kashmir carpets, the first-of-its-kind in the country.
The carpets from J&K are being exported to at least 25 countries. In 2020-21, carpets worth Rs 115 crore were exported to Germany while the figures were Rs 34 crore for US, Rs 36 crore for UAE and Rs 22 crore for the Netherlands. The J&K administration is also working on starting a mega carpet village.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chief, Sheikh Ashiq, has welcomed the launching of QR-code based mechanism.