Modalities are being worked on promoting the export of Kashmiri handicrafts in Germany which is the largest buyer of carpets from the valley. The Director Handicrafts and Handloom Kashmir, Mahmood Ahmad Shah on Friday held an extensive web meeting with Dr. Suyash Chavan, Consulate General of India (CGI), Germany to discuss the issue.
Germany is the largest consumer of Kashmir carpets and in addition imports chain stitch, paper machine, and walnut furniture from Kashmir. As the weather of Germany is characterized by cold winters, this makes it a perfect destination for the use of Kashmiri shawls, rugs, and carpets. The online meeting dealt exclusively with reviewing the scope of developing end-to-end export linkages to provide quality handicraft products of Kashmir to the German market in particular and the rest of Europe in general so as to ensure quality products reach Germany to increase the handicraft exports to Germany.
The tie-up shall also aim to connect art lovers and handicraft importers of Germany with exporters from Kashmir and also achieve a tie-up of master craftsmen and artisans of Kashmir with art connoisseurs through digital platforms, which shall ensure long term sustainability for arts like papier-machie, sozni, kani shawl, basket weaving, khatamband, wood carving, silver and copper carving, carpet weaving, leather, silk and pashmina weaving amongst other crafts that Kashmir is known for in German markets.
To begin with, GI certified products of Kashmir shall be presented to the Consulate General of India, Germany which includes pashmina, khatamband, walnut wood carving, sozni, kani shawl, hand-knotted carpet, paper machie, and saffron for display in the Consulate General Munich office and in the exhibitions at Germany.The consulate general was briefed about the export incentive announced by the Government on GI-certified goods and about the renewed focus on Handicrafts in view of the recent UNESCO craft listing for Srinagar City.