Srinagar, Oct 14 (KNN) With an aim to create an online resource network for the textile, clothing and craft sector of India, the Directorate of Handicrafts & Handloom, Kashmir has signed an agreement with National Institute of Fashion Technology, India (NIFT) under the project titled ‘The Repository - Indian Textiles and Crafts’ (RTC).

The MoU was signed between Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir Mehmood Ahmad Shah (JKAS) and Director (NRC), NIFT, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar.

The project is initiated by NIFT and is being sponsored by Development Commissioner Handlooms and Handicrafts Ministry of Textiles in Government of India with the objective to develop a national knowledge portal titled Bhartiya Vastra Shilpa Kosh, to form an integrated system that will lay down a framework to weave the past and present status of textiles.

The Director H&H Kashmir highlighted the significance of the MoU and said the department will try to support NIFT India in every possible way. “It is a huge endeavour and shall go a long way in preserving the heritage and contemporary designs associated with Kashmir,” he said.

Highlighting the scope of the MoU, an official spokesperson said “under this partnership, preliminary survey of the collections will be conducted to assess the status of the holdings, selection and hosting of whole or part of the holdings on RTC portal, providing support for creation of technical interfaces to harvest and use of meta-data, digitization of select holdings documentation and cataloguing of selected undocumented resources, training and capacity building, content creation and coordination and promotion of RCT portal.”

The portal will play a significant role in dissemination of historical and contemporary information and narratives on Indian textiles, showcasing the creativity and diversity in traditional Indian textiles on interactive digital platform, creation of integrated database of craft practitioners for their promotion and welfare and creation of visual databank of images, films, audio-visuals, podcast lecture series on craft practitioners and designers for awareness and promotion purposes.  (KNN Bureau)