Indian government pushes to revive Kashmir’s centuries-old handicrafts

The Indian government is trying to revive centuries-old arts and crafts in Indian-administered Kashmir. Last year, the United Nations added Srinagar to its Creative Cities Network, recognising the regional capital's industries as a vital factor in its development. But that has not been enough to help businesses devastated by decades of conflict in the region, and more recently, the pandemic. The region’s handicrafts exports have dropped from $216m in 2011 to $83m in 2021, and that has had a significant effect on wages. To help revive the industry, the government has been taking groups of social media influencers, tour operators and even university students on visits to workshops. It hopes they will help spread the word about the region’s attractions. Al Jazeera’s Elizabeth Puranam reports from New Delhi, India. – Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe – Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish – Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera – Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #India #Kashmir #KashmirTourism
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