MoU between EPCH and WII in setting up a ‘Pashmina Testing Facility’ in WII, Dehradun

Today on 05th January 2023 Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) with the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), New Delhi, for setting up a ‘Pashmina Testing Facility’ in WII in the presence of the Additional Director General (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi at WII, Dehradun. Through this MoU, the EPCH collaborated with WII to establish a Pashmina Testing Laboratory for its associated members involved in Pashmina Trade. In concurrence with the Central Government’s policy, it will be a kind of facility based on the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) model for assisting the Pashmina traders in obtaining authenticity certificates for selling certified and genuine pashmina products. Under this MoU, the advanced technologies will be housed in a single facility to support the Pashmina test procedures. It will be an example of a self-sustaining and revenue-generating facility in a government organization supporting associated exporters and traders on a payment basis. This facility will engage substantial technical manpower and thus generate employment opportunities for budding technologists and researchers on the PPP model.

The purpose of signing this MoU was to streamline the Pashmina Trade and to provide a one-stop testing facility to certify the genuine Pashmina Product that is free from any prohibited fibers to the associated manufacturers, exporters, and traders. All the tested products will be labeled with a traceable unique id tag with individual certificates, enabling a seamless trade of such products in national and international markets. In the absence of such a facility in the country, such products get under scrutiny to rule out the presence of prohibited fibers at the exit points of the country, which causes in delays in clearance and associated demurrage charges and financial/business loss to the exporters and traders. The Pashmina Test Facility at WII, Dehradun, will assist honest exporters and traders involved in the trade of genuine Pashmina products. Setting up such a facility in India will be a game changer for the seamless trade of genuine Pashmina products with authentic certification.

This MoU was signed by :

  • Dr. S. P. Yadav, Director, WII.
  • Sh. R. K. Verma, Executive Director, EPCH.

In The Presence of :

  • Sh. Bivash Ranjan, Additional Director General (Wildlife), MoEF&CC, New Delhi.
  • Dr. Ruchi Badola, Scientist-G & Dean & Registrar, WII.
  • Dr. S. K. Gupta, Scientist-F & Nodal Officer, Wildlife Forensic and Conservation Genetics (WFCG) Cell, WII.
  • Sh. Rajesh Rawat, Addl. Executive Director, EPCH.
  • Sh. C. P. Sharma, Senior Technical Officer, WFCG Cell, WII
  • Sh. Puneet Ahuja, M.D. Ahuja Sons, New Delhi