Jammu: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress and future roadmap for promoting and strengthening the handicrafts and handloom sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce; Director, Handicrafts and Handlooms, Kashmir/Jammu; MD, JKHHMC, and other concerned officials.
While comprehensively reviewing the department’s initiatives, the Chief Secretary emphasized the immediate operationalization of non-functional training centers in the districts to ensure uninterrupted skill development and capacity building for artisans and craftspeople. He directed that these centers be integrated with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to ensure greater recognition of training certificates.
Emphasizing formalization and financial inclusion, he directed the department to increase the registration of artisans on the Udyam portal and simplify their linkage with the RBI’s Unified Lending Interface (ULI) to improve access to affordable credit. He further recommended launching a dedicated term loan product for this sector, similar to the agriculture sector, to facilitate capital infusion and business growth.
The Chief Secretary also called for expanding training and capacity-building programs in collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), stating that short-term courses and diploma programs would help integrate modern technology with traditional crafts.
Reviewing the progress of GI tagging, he directed the optimal use of a QR-based management system to track and trace GI products and emphasized making it fully operational through integration with the Government of India’s Meghraj cloud platform. He also stressed the need to expedite the implementation of the Tex-RAMPS scheme, including the early finalization of the necessary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Vikramjit Singh, Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, presented a detailed overview of the department’s work and efforts aimed at revitalizing the sector. He stated that several project proposals to strengthen handicrafts in the districts have been submitted to the Government of India for approval. He also spoke about the capacity-building program being run in collaboration with NIFT, Budgam, which includes courses ranging from 15 days to one year.
He further stated that approximately 17,000 artisans and weavers were registered last year, bringing the total number of registered artisans across the Union Territory to over 4.52 lakh. Additionally, approximately 12,600 people have been trained through departmental training centers, he said.
Kashmir’s Director of Handicrafts and Handlooms, Musarat Islam, also highlighted key initiatives such as the creation of a craft village in Sonapa (Budgam), a Common Facility Center (CFC) for wool processing, yarn dyeing, and hair removal in Srinagar, and the upgrading of IICT Srinagar and PTQCC labs. He also highlighted efforts to improve product quality and curb counterfeiting. Jammu’s Director of Handicrafts and Handlooms, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh, informed the meeting about projects under consideration by the Ministry of Textiles, including a raw material depot for a pashmina and wheat straw cluster, a bamboo cluster in Samba, a calico printing cluster in Jammu, and the development of an urban haat in Samba. He further noted that several CFCs have already been completed in Kathua and Samba districts. The meeting also reviewed financial inclusion initiatives, including a credit card scheme for artisans and weavers, under which more than 2,400 cases have been approved, providing credit up to ₹2 lakh with interest rebates. Under the Karkhana Scheme, 46 Karkhanas have been built with government assistance of ₹185.79 lakh.
