National Handloom Expo Dast-e-Hunar at Kashmir Haat, 12-day expo sponsored by Development Commissioner for Handlooms and Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, GoI, and J&K Directorate of Handloom Department and organized by Esquire Handloom WICS Ltd was inaugurated by Minister for Industries and Commerce (I&C), Chander Prakash Ganga here on Monday.

The aim of the expo is to encourage JK artisans and offer them an avenue to market their finished goods to a broader market, an official press note read.

The expo, being held after three years, will see some 60 handloom and handicraft societies exhibit their finished goods showcased on 46 different stalls set up at the Haat. The expo also includes live demonstration of handloom weaving, pashmina spinning and Kani shawl weaving. The expo is one of the two being held in the State this year.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Prakash Ganga, thanked the Development Commissioner for Handlooms and Handicrafts for his keen interest in resuming the exercise of expos in the State and for authorizing four such expos to be held in the State in 2018. Ganga also said all possible efforts are being made to ensure identification of authentic Kashmiri products being marked by GI certification.

Ganga congratulated artisans for their brilliant work and emphasised the need for innovations in design. He also emphasised the importance of marketability, impressing upon the artisans to keep marketability in mind when designing their goods.

Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi was also present on the occasion. Development Commissioner for Handloom and Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, GoI, Shantmanu, was also present on the occasion.