Published Paper Details:

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the crafts economy and its leading role in development of state. Handicrafts sector in Kashmir is since immemorial and how it enhanced the livelihood of people and save the economy of the state from its decline. The handicraft activities carried out in Kashmir Valley are famous throughout the world because of their fine quality, unique art and inqusitivenessin design. The Handicraft sector has proved to be a source of income and created vast employment opportunities in the state and outside the state. Craft production is a labour intensive sector, needs less capital and is eco-friendly. Therefore, the social cost of handicrafts is less compared to other small and medium scale industries. Being a labour intensive sector, handicrafts can be established both in rural and urban areas and can be taken off as a subsidiary occupation in the valley. In this paper an attempt has been made to evaluate the growth, performance and problems faced by the handicraft industries.