Kasturi Cotton Bharat programme of Ministry of Textiles is a pioneering effort in traceability, certification and branding of Indian cotton. The details of Kasturi Cotton Bharat program and implementation of block chain technology for traceability.

Kasturi Bharat initiative, a collaboration between the Government of India, trade bodies, and industry, was formalized with a budgetary support of Rs. 30 crore including Rs.15 crores from Trade & Industry Bodies through a MoU signed on15.12.2022 between Cotton Corporation of India on behalf of Government of India, Ministry of Textiles and The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council.

To provide complete traceability of Kasturi Cotton Bharat tagged bales across the supply chain, QR based certification technology are being used at each stage of the processing and a Block-chain based software platform will provide end to end traceability and transaction certificate. In this regard, Microsite with QR code verification and Block Chain technology has been developed.

The Kasturi Cotton Bharat programme is operational at the national level and its promotion is being made at national and international platform. Hence, the allocation of funds is not at state level.

The implementation of Block chain Technology under the Kasturi Cotton Bharat program is designed for stakeholders across the entire Indian cotton value chain including Andhra Pradesh.

All the ginners in the country including Andhra Pradesh have been empowered to produce Kasturi Cotton Bharat brand as per stipulated protocol and about 343 modernised ginning and pressing units including 15 ginning and pressing units of Andhra Pradesh have been registered so far for participating Kasturi Cotton initiative and about 100 bales of Andhra Pradesh have been certified under Kasturi Cotton Bharat brand.

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Pabitra Margherita in a written reply today in the Lok Sabha.

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