SRINAGAR, Oct. 28 -- The Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre (PTQCC) at the Craft Development Institute (CDI), Srinagar, has recorded a sharp rise in the testing of Geographical Indication (GI) 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.

In a detailed press statement issued here today, a spokesman of the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir stated 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, PTQCC conducted 13,369 tests at an average of...