Kashmir’s handicraft and handloom exports reach Rs 2,567 crore over past two fiscal years

Kashmir’s handicraft and handloom exports are rising and the area shipped out products worth Rs 2,567 crore over the course of the past two financial years and the region expects to maintain its growth trajectory, according to regional officials. 

“The world-famous handicraft and handloom products worth Rs 2,567 crore have been exported from Kashmir valley in the last two financial years and the first three quarters of the current fiscal [2025],” announced an official close to the development, the Press Trust of India reported. By the end of the 2025 financial year on March 31, Kashmir is expected to have cumulatively exported Rs 3,000 crore worth of goods over three fiscal years. 

Kashmir’s Handicrafts and Handloom Department reported that Kani and Sozni shawls are the most popular product to export from the region with exports valued at Rs 1,105 crore over the past three years, The Tribune reported. Hand knotted carpets are also a signature product of the region with exports at Rs 728 crore over the past three fiscal years and other goods include chain stitch goods, wood carvings, and crewel among others. 

The Handicrafts and Handloom Department of Kashmir operates a design studio at the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology and works with the School of Designs and Craft Development Institute to create prototypes for new products, designed to appeal to modern consumers. “The artisans can access these contemporary designs and packaging models to add value to their products in niche high-end markets,” said a spokesperson for the Handicrafts and Handloom Department of Kashmir, The Tribune reported. 

Along with initiatives designed to drive economic growth, the area has undertaken numerous welfare projects and has trained 17,182 women in a variety of handicraft techniques. The Department also runs an educational programme for the children of craftspeople and identified 100 weaver beneficiaries to receive free modified modern steel carpet looms in Kashmir under the National Wool Policy.