GI tag boosts exports of handmade Kashmiri carpets

Jammu: The Geographical Indication (GI) tag provided by the government to the famed hand-knotted Kashmiri carpets has given a new lease of life to the trade in the Valley.

The GI tag certifies the genuineness of these carpets with information of the manufacturer, weaver, district and raw material mentioned on them, a government spokesperson said.

Kashmiri carpet has always been a brand big enough to be sold anywhere in the world, but some people were selling Iranian and machine-made carpets in its name. Now, buyers can distinguish between hand and machine-made carpets, an artisan from Gadekhoud village, known for carpet weaving, said.

Several artisans said that the GI tag will fetch better returns on their products and will



certainly encourage the younger generation to learn carpet weaving and preserve the art.

On February 11, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had introduced QR-code for handmade Kashmiri carpets, thus giving the customers a platform to verify the authenticity of the carpet, besides other requisite details.

The carpets from Jammu and Kashmir are being exported to at least 25 countries.

In 2020-21, carpets worth Rs 115 crore were exported to Germany, while Rs 34 crore worth rugs were sent to the US, Rs 36 crore to the UAE and Rs 22 crore to the Netherlands, the spokesperson said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration is also working on launching a mega carpet village, he said.