India and Pakistan are battling over India’s attempts to get GI protection for Pashmina. Kashmir’s pashmina is different from its Australian variant but the problem is that over the years it has started being produced in India, Pakistan, Nepal and China. Apart from this the GI application is being opposed by Pakistan as it wants its Pashmina to also be given protection.
The Kashmiri industry feels that the Pakistani product is not of the same quality.
Kashmir boasts of producing high-quality Pashmina products through a tedious, traditional, manual process that originated there.
The Kashmiri handicraft industry has been hurt by years of conflict as well as competition from lower-priced products and fakes. Further delay in getting a geographically specific patent will likely mean more hardship for Kashmir’s Pashmina business.
The full article can be found here.
