SRINAGAR, MARCH 27: In a major boost to position the Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) as a centre of excellence in fibre analysis, the Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, has procured a high-end Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).
This initiative aims to achieve global standards in GI testing and certification of Pashmina and other handwoven products.
Apart from this, the department has procured three High-Resolution Digital Microscopes for PTQCC, the Carpet Laboratory at IICT, and the newly established Quality Control Laboratory. These additions are expected to enhance testing capacity, reduce waiting times, and address long-standing demands of GI-authorised users, business stakeholders, and the artisan community.
According to the press statement issued by a spokesman of the Directorate of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir, SEM-based testing will further improve precise fibre analysis and facilitate accurate differentiation between genuine Pashmina and other fibres. “This advancement will help safeguard the authenticity of pure Pashmina products and protect artisans and traders from misrepresentation and cheap counterfeit goods marketed under the guise of genuine handmade products from Kashmir”, he said, while thanking the Textiles Ministry for its whole-hearted support in strengthening infrastructure at its testing labs.
Procured under the ‘Technology Support’ component of the National Handicrafts Development Programme of the Ministry of Textiles, the introduction of SEM will further strengthen the authenticity, quality assurance and global credibility of Kashmir’s finest textile heritage, particularly Pashmina and Kani Shawls. “The new equipment would also allow testing of various organic and inorganic materials at the lab,” he said.
Similarly, the introduction of High-Resolution Digital Microscopes across PTQCC, IICT, and Quality Control Laboratories will significantly increase testing throughput and further reduce turnaround time, which has been a major demand of GI Authorized Users as well as the artisan community.
Kashmir currently has fifteen (15) GI-registered crafts, including high-value hand-knotted carpets, Pashmina, Kani, Tweed, Sozni embroidery, Chainstitch, Wagguv, Gabba, and Namda, along with non-textile crafts such as Walnut Wood Carving and Papier Mâché. “Documentation for six additional crafts has been prepared and is expected to be submitted to the GI Registry, Chennai, for registration in the near future,” he added.
