Srinagar, Aug. 22 -- In a small workshop at Awantha Bhawan on Srinagar's 90 Feet Road in Soura, Tahir Ahmad Kalwal runs his fingers over freshly processed sheep pelts spread across wooden tables, checking each one before it moves to the next stage.

Around him, men and women sort, cut and stitch the material into jackets, coats, caps, bags, orthopaedic items and home decor pieces.

Kalwal, 58, estimates that only around 45 artisans in Kashmir remain active in fur work today, though his own workshop and network involve ten workers, many of them women. "These artisans have golden hands but they are getting spoiled due to less government support in Kashmir," he tells Mint.

Kalwal returned to Kashmir during the first wave of the covid-19 pan...