Augmenting Testing Facilities Across Jammu Kashmir to Boost GI-Tagged Products’ Global Reac

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo has directed the Industries and Commerce Department to formulate comprehensive plans to harness the full potential of Jammu and Kashmir’s Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products, with a special focus on augmenting testing facilities and securing international quality accreditation.

Chairing a high-level meeting on Thursday, Dulloo emphasised the need for robust measures to ensure quality, authenticity, and global recognition of Jammu and Kashmir’s traditional crafts and agricultural produce. He called for expediting National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification for the Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) in Kashmir to enhance its acceptability in global markets.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD) Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce Vikramjit Singh, and Directors of Handloom and Handicrafts from Kashmir and Jammu.

Dulloo underlined the importance of strengthening traceability features to protect GI products from counterfeiting. Kumar suggested introducing tamper-proof labels for each product, detailing its origin, features, and creator, and proposed a quality enforcement mechanism with penalties for substandard products, modelled on European practices.

Officials informed that Jammu and Kashmir  has undertaken extensive GI-tagging of traditional crafts to safeguard craftsmanship, empower artisans, and improve market access. Every GI-tagged craft now carries a QR code label with manufacturer and material details.

The PTQCC has been upgraded with an Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser (OFDA), while the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology has trained over 11,000 artisans and digitised numerous designs. A new Quality Control Lab is also proposed for eight newly registered GI crafts.

As of March 2025, 15 crafts from Kashmir Division and three from Jammu Division have GI status, alongside seven agricultural products, with several more in the pipeline.

The initiative aims to preserve centuries-old traditions, improve product credibility, and strengthen livelihoods for artisans and farmers.