The Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha today graced the Pashmina Artisan Awards 2026, organised by the Pashmeena Entrepreneurs Makers and Artisans (PEMA) Foundation in Srinagar. He extended heartfelt congratulations to all award winners and PEMA Foundation for such excellent initiative.

In his address, the Lieutenant Governor said the award ceremony is the celebration of Jammu Kashmir’s cultural prosperity. He said the awards honour not merely individuals but an entire artistic civilisation of the country that has captivated the world for generations. The Lieutenant Governor invoked the spirit of Bhagwan Vishwakarma, the divine embodiment of craftsmanship and emphasised that India has always regarded artisanship as sacred knowledge.

Highlighting the extraordinary saga of patience and skill behind the Pashmina tradition, the Lieutenant Governor paid special tribute to women artisans, noting their central role in every stage of production, from refining raw fibre to intricate embroidery. He said that empowering women artisan’s safeguards heritage and strengthens the confidence of future generations.

“Women artisans are not merely participants in this tradition but they are its silent creators, its custodians and its heartbeat,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor recalled the success of earlier editions of the awards in 2023 and 2025, describing them as rays of hope for the artisan community. He underlined that this year’s awards mark a historic milestone, dedicated especially to women artisans whose artistry has given Kashmir’s Pashmina its global prestige.

The Lieutenant Governor assured artisans of the Government of India’s commitment in four key areas including fair remuneration and protection of Geographical Indication (GI) tags. Access to global markets through e-commerce, exhibitions, and digital platforms. Skill development and welfare, including healthcare, social security, and modern design training and financial inclusion through schemes like MUDRA, Credit Card Scheme and Karkhandar training initiatives.

He noted that the handloom and handicrafts sector currently provides economic security to 460,000 artisans and their families in the Union Territory, with 18 crafts granted GI tags and a QR-based system developed for authenticity.

The Lieutenant Governor urged the artisan community to embrace modern opportunities while preserving traditional excellence, assuring that the Union Territory Administration and PEMA Foundation will work together to strengthen the sector.

“You should never feel that your work is ordinary. What you are doing is a form of devotion, an act of creation and a noble effort to keep India’s cultural memory alive. I would like to say to all the honoured artisans that whenever a person anywhere in the world carries an original Pashmina product from Jammu Kashmir on their shoulders, they carry with them a part of India’s culture and history,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

Shri Vikramjit Singh, Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department; Dr Hina Shafi Bhat, Former Chairperson, J&K Khadi Village Industries Board; Shri Masrat-ul- Islam, Director, Handloom & Handicrafts Kashmir; Shri Tariq Dar, President, Pashmeena Entrepreneurs Makers and Artisans (PEMA) Foundation; senior officials, members of PEMA Foundation and artisans in large number attended the felicitation ceremony.