‘Over 70,000 products labelled with QR-based verification’
18 Kashmiri handicrafts get GI tag Rs 3.35 lakh fine imposed for violations in 3 years
Srinagar, Mar 31: The Industries and Commerce (I&C) Department has intensified efforts to strengthen credibility by operationalising certification and Geographical Indication (GI) labelling mechanisms across Jammu and Kashmir to safeguard the authenticity of traditional handicrafts. According to details shared by the department, a total of 18 products, 15 from Kashmir division and three from Jammu division, have already secured GI registration. These include 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, Bat, Bashoti Pashmina, Bashoti Painting, and Rajouri Chikriwood. The department said a certification and GI-labelling mechanism has been operationalised for seven GI-registered crafts through the Pashmina Testing & Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) at CDI and the Carpet Testing Lab at the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT), Srinagar. Misbranding of notified handicraft products with lookalike items being sold to unsuspecting customers as genuine Kashmir crafts has emerged
as a major challenge. The department said it has undertaken several measures to curb such malpractices. The Quality Control Division under the Directorate enforces standards for notified craft products under various acts, including the Jammu and Kashmir Handicrafts Quality Control Act, 1978; the Jammu and Kashmir Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1978; the Jammu and Kashmir Namda Quality Control Act, 1960; and the Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition on Manufacture of Specified Copper Utensils by Machine Act, 2006. Inspection teams have been constituted to conduct rounds of handicraft and handloom dealers and showrooms in notified tourist areas and city centres, with penalties imposed on erring dealers under various provisions of the enabling Acts. During the last three years, fines totalling approximately Rs 3.35 lakh have been imposed in Kashmir, including Rs 90,000 in 2023–24, Rs 1,29,505 in 2024–25, and Rs 1,15,095 in 2025–26. The data was shared in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
today in response to a question raised by MLA Tanvir Sadiq. The department further stated that it maintains a mechanism for addressing tourist complaints, with prompt action taken in cases involving misbranding. To strengthen consumer confidence and promote authentic Kashmir crafts, the department has launched a QR code-based GI labelling system. Since its inception, approximately 70,000 handmade products have been tested and engraved with secure GI labels at the designated testing labs of the department. Under the QR Code Management System, buyers can verify the genuineness and other product details in real time by scanning the QR code printed on the GI label affixed to the product using a smartphone prior to purchase. The department has also procured additional high-end machines and equipment to strengthen its three existing testing labs, which will substantially increase the per-day testing rate of handmade products and reduce the waiting period for authorised users and artisans.
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