SRINAGAR: Department of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir successfully conducted a one-day capacity-building workshop on Branding and Packaging under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) initiative.
The workshop was held to enhance the marketing potential of traditional Kashmiri crafts and support local women artisans in reaching wider markets.
Around 100 women artisans, including those associated with Meeras Carpet Weavers Industrial Co-operative Limited, the registered proprietor of Carpet GI and other craft clusters from Srinagar district, participated with great enthusiasm.
Faculty members from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Srinagar including Dr. Yasir, Syed Azhar, and Shashi Ranjan led engaging sessions that focused on practical aspects of modern branding, design innovation, and sustainable packaging.
These sessions equipped the artisans with valuable tools and knowledge to enhance the visual appeal and marketability of their products, especially those covered under the GI, ODOP, and DEH schemes.
Addressing the participants, Shahid Ali, Deputy Director, Handicrafts, highlighted the need to embrace modern branding and packaging as a means of preserving the authenticity of traditional crafts while ensuring competitiveness in national and international markets. He also reiterated the Government's sustained efforts under RAMP to build capacity and promote these practices, creating sustainable growth avenues for local producers and women artisans across Jammu & Kashmir.
The workshop concluded with overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants, who appreciated the approach of the sessions and expressed eagerness for future initiatives.
With a sustained commitment to empowering local women and craftspersons, department of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir will continue to organize capacity-building workshops across the region under the RAMP initiative, a vital step toward fostering long-term socio-economic growth for artisans associated with GI, ODOP, and DEH products. | 