Trade Articles

For promoting the century old traditional textile industry of the Jammu & Kashmir, the Khadi & Village Industry Board (KVIB) is coming up with its programmes and policies for rural and remote areas of the state. The KVIB has formulated its plans for establishing common facility centers in the key areas of the region for empowering and facilitating the artisans and craftsmen of such areas. In various pockets of the region, the KVIB has started their various courses for upgrading skills. The board is also planning for organizing camps with the purpose of skill enhancement in such areas.

Earlier the KVIB has organized the similar camps for artisan in the Bani and Loang areas of Basohli, Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir. In such areas there are large number of people which are earning their livelihood from the artisan work. Thanks to the useful camps of the KVIB, some people have started their own units in their premises. Basically it is the starting of series of concrete steps by the KVIB for traditional art as it was going through its depression period. Craftsmen from the Basohli region of Kathua area are popular for their artistic qualities and skills in weaving pashmina shawls. They produce shawls through the raw material obtained from the kashmiri shawl manufacturers. The pashmina shawls are worldwide popular for their exquisite beauty and delicacy. People of bani block and adjoining bhaderwah are involved in taming sheep, therefore the KVIB has framed out their planning for boosting woolen knitting, blanket weaving and other related activities.

The CEO of KVIB said that there are more than 36,000 units and the board is taking steps for bolstering the craft. Many steps have been taken in this direction so far for including policy for providing satisfactory salary to the workers. Like product development, quality improvement, ensuring marketing linkages etc. are undertaken for ensuring that the qualitative products are manufactured for fulfilling the burgeoning the market demands. The Khadi & Village Industry Board has recorded production worth Rs 423 crore with the last year export worth Rs 450 crore. The board has decided to offer every assistance including bank loans and training assistance.

The UPA government has also sanctioned ten handloom clusters for Jammu & Kashmir. While addressing the parliamentary consultative committee meeting, the minister of textiles, Mr. Shankersinh said that the government is continuously involved in promoting varied activities of the Handicrafts and handlooms Exports Corporation(HHEC) and has allowed new handloom clusters with the same purpose. The HHEC is encouraging trading activities by providing its support to the weavers for upgrading their skills, designing inputs and training & marketing products.