Malls to Come Up in Srinagar, Jammu for Promotion of Jammu Kashmir Handicrafts

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo announced the establishment of Ekta Malls in Srinagar and Jammu as part of a wider strategy to strengthen the handicrafts and handloom sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chairing a meeting with officials from the Industries and Commerce Department, Dulloo said the Ekta Malls would serve as one-stop destinations for showcasing, marketing, and selling authentic crafts, offering artisans and buyers a common platform to interact and trade directly. The locations and design layouts for both malls have already been finalised, he informed.

The Chief Secretary also stressed on the swift implementation of a QR-code based traceability mechanism for all Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products, directing the department to complete the digital tracking system by the end of the year. He underscored the need to enhance testing facilities, branding efforts, and market linkages to ensure global recognition for Jammu and Kashmir’s traditional crafts.

During the meeting, Dulloo reviewed progress on several ongoing projects, including the creation of Wool and Silk Villages, a Common Facility Centre for Yarn Dyeing, the proposed Indian Institute of Textiles at Basohli, Sericulture Park, and Craft-based Resource Centre. He directed officials to expedite work on these initiatives.

Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, informed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has 18 registered GI products, with 10 more in the pipeline. He said testing capacity for GI products has been upgraded from 50 to 100 tests per day and will soon rise to 250 tests daily following the addition of two new digital microscopes.

Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, Masarat-ul-Islam, stated that the GI certification waiting period has been reduced to just two days, benefitting around 6,000 registered users. He said plans are underway to develop the Craft Development Institute (CDI), Srinagar, as a pre-export testing centre to facilitate direct exports of certified crafts.

The meeting was informed that the QR-code traceability project, being developed in collaboration with NIELIT, is nearing rollout, while NIFT Srinagar has helped develop 36 prototype designs across five crafts and trained nearly 1,000 artisans through skill enhancement programmes.

Under the Karkhandar Scheme, master craftsmen are mentoring new artisans, each receiving a stipend of Rs 2,000 per month. So far, 12 Karkhanas have been established, training over 120 artisans. The Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT) has also developed 2,600 carpet designs, 600 Kani designs, and digitised 650 traditional Taleem patterns, generating Rs 56 lakh in revenue.

As part of the government’s branding campaign “Soulful Kashmir,” the department has launched “Know Your Artisan” programmes at the Jhelum Riverfront, where the public can interact directly with renowned artisans. Similar events will continue over the coming weeks.

Further, under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Craft Safaris have been organised across Srinagar to highlight Papier Mâché, Pashmina weaving, Sozni embroidery, Carpet weaving, Copperware, Khatamband, and Walnut wood carving.

Brand promotion campaigns for Jammu and Kashmir’s crafts are also being rolled out at airports, city centres, FM channels, and Doordarshan in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations to enhance the global visibility of local artisans.