Srinagar, Oct. 29 -- The handicraft dealers of Kashmir have embraced Geographical Indication (GI) tagging in a big way as the Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) at the Craft Development Institute (CDI) here has recorded a sharp rise in the testing of products, especially Kashmir Pashmina, Kani and Sozni embroidered shawls, during the current financial year.

"The surge reflects stronger institutional capacity, upgraded laboratory infrastructure and growing demand for authentic GI certification and QR coding," a spokesperson of the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir, said.

The spokesman said that the testing rate, which was 40-45 per day in 2024-25, has now risen to 170 per day in 2026-27. "In 2024-25, PTQ...