Pashmina, one of Kashmir's oldest handicraft legends and legacy is under threat from imitations as this expensive handmade fabric is slowly being overthrown by cheap, machine-made namesake. The laws in Jammu & Kashmir to protect genuine pashmina are observed more in their breach as the machine-made rival is giving the original a hard time.

According to local artisans, many influential traders have introduced spinning machines and power looms despite a ban on their use. Local artisan say wealthy traders with strong connections manufacture machine-made pashmina but the authorities are not bothered and the laws and bans are merely on paper. Also, imitation gives a bad name to the original product.

Union commerce ministry at the Crafts Development Institute (CDI) at the Baghi Ali Mardan Khan had set up a testing centre to test the purity and genuineness of handmade pashmina. Created by the central and state governments to promote handicrafts in the state, the CDI is an autonomous body, but local artisans allege that the centre exists only in name. Rouf Ahmad Qureshi, President of the Kashmir Pashmina Karigar Union (KPKU) stated that the forming of a testing centre was pointless as it never became operational. And as Gazanfar Ali, Director (Handicrafts) points out that their effort was to promote genuine handicrafts and get rid of all fakes sold in the state.

Locals lament that using spinning looms to produce machine-made pashmina is threatening their livelihood and giving the Kashmiri pashmina a bad name.