'Buyer-Seller meets to reconnect Kashmiri artisans with global markets'
Srinagar, June 30: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the International Buyer-Seller meet was not directed at tourists but was for building official relationships for promotion of crafts and giving exposure to the craftsperson.
Talking to media persons after addressing J&K International Buyer-Seller Meet-2025 on the theme Skilled Hands to Global Markets, Omar Abdullah said that the extent of the boost will be known only after the buyer-seller meet concludes and they will assess how many orders were placed.
"Just a single buyer-seller meeting will not solve all the problems. But with this buyer-seller meet, we will get some help in building new relationships," he told reporters at SKICC.
He said that the Buyer-Seller meet held at SKICC was the beginning of the initiative of holding these meetings.
Asked about the time for holding such a meeting amid less flow of tourists, Omar Abdullah said that tourists never come to Kashmir for a buyer-seller meet in any case.
"This event is not directed at tourists but at buyers. We have buyers from overseas and within the country. Do not confuse the two. Tourists will come and buy the product whenever they have to and will buy it from shops," he said.
Omar Abdullah said that a buyer-seller meeting was never organised for tourists as they opt for shopping from local shops.
"This initiative of buyer-seller meeting is for official relationships, for sourcing. Not for buying one product," he said.
The Buyer-Seller meet was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation (JKTPO) in collaboration with the Wool & Woollens Export Promotion Council (WWEPC). It was supported under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
Omar Abdullah said the delegations have not come to Kashmir to buy a single product like tourists do.
"They are coming to buy in bulk and If I say from the beginning that there will be no benefit of this or any seller says that there will be no benefit that will be unfair," he said.
He said that one out of the 12 Buyer-Seller meet was convened while remaining 11 meetings will be held as well.
"Once the other 11 meetings will be held, after that we will sit and assess how much benefit we got from it. Even if one of our handicrafts person gets a big order, that is a successful buyer-seller meeting in itself," he said.
About the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SAJY)-2025, Omar Abdullah said they hope and pray that the religious event remains successful.
"A good number of devotees should visit the holy cave and return home safely. For that, all the measures have been taken and all the arrangements at government level have been put in place as well," he said.
He said that the J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha also convened meetings with the political parties and with civil society.
"It has been assured that the security arrangements have also been made. So now we are waiting for the devotees. They will be flagged off on July 2 from Jammu and will be welcomed here," he said.
