SRINAGAR : In a narrow wooden room in Srinagar’s centuries-old Rathpora locality, the quiet click of a computer keyboard mingles with the distant echoes of mosque calls and street vendors. Seated behind a desk, Shahnawaz Ahmad Sofi scrolls through a set of digital carpet designs sent by his clients.
Before his weavers begin their intricate work, Sofi meticulously converts these images into detailed patterns on his computer. He then translates them into Talim, a traditional script that guides the weaving process. Recited like a chant or song, the Talim is followed by the weavers stitch by stitch, each coded line shaping the carpet into a work of art crafted entirely by hand.
“I have spent my life watching carpets being handcrafted, first by my grandfather, then by my father, and now by me. Over the past decade, technology has taken this craft to the next level, and innovations in the internet have further transformed Kashmir’s carpet industry,” says Sofi, a senior carpet designer.
The 43-year-old tech-savvy carpet entrepreneur uses his computer to create traditional designs that have found a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and in the billion-dollar home of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man.
“Carpets have been handcrafted traditionally since centuries, but I gave them a modern touch by using computer applications to change the way we design them. It has taken our industry to the next level.”
Kashmir’s carpet industry traces its roots to the 14th and 15th centuries, when Persian and Central Asian artisans arrived during the reign of Sufi saint Mir Syed Ali Hamdani and Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin. The craft flourished under Mughal patronage, embedding itself in the region’s cultural and economic fabric. Over the centuries, carpets have remained at the heart of Kashmir’s handicrafts sector, sustaining generations and providing livelihoods to thousands across the Valley.
Sofi, a third-generation carpet entrepreneur, has been using various computer software programs including Ibex, Photoshop, and Illustrator, to transform client images into intricate designs. These designs are then converted into Talim, an age-old encrypted language used by Kashmiri carpet artisans to guide the weaving process.
A 2003 Fine Arts graduate, Sofi blends traditional craftsmanship with digital tools and now, he is turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline design workflows and bring new efficiency to an art form rooted in history.
“It used to be an uphill task to use multiple applications to edit the images sent by clients. Sometimes I had to turn them into collages, remove backgrounds, or adjust the brightness,” Sofi says. “Now, AI does it in seconds. What used to take hours, or even days and weeks with older apps, is done almost instantly.”
Although Sofi admits he is not yet fully well-versed in AI, he believes it has the potential to completely revolutionise the carpet industry. “AI can already handle photo editing and help us create eye-catching designs,” he says. “But once it learns to understand Talim, the encrypted language used by weavers, the pre-weaving process, which currently takes weeks or even months, could be done in seconds.”
While AI will not replace the human hands that give Kashmiri carpets their unique value, Zubair Ahmad Mir who is director, Indian Institute of Carpet Technology , Srinagar believes digital tools and AI are essential for survival and growth.
“AI can not do the weaving because that is our USP. But it can revolutionise design, quality control, and global outreach. If we want future generations to value and sustain this craft, we must blend tradition with innovation,” Mir tells Mint.
He adds that the carpet institute has consulted several AI companies to help develop applications capable of generating Talim codes from a single image, or reconstructing a full carpet design from strips of Talim.
“So far, no breakthrough has been achieved,” he says. “Many beautiful, traditional designs remain confined to paper. If we succeed in creating this kind of program, we could revive them more quickly and accurately than ever before.”
Inside Sofi’s carpet-making unit in Srinagar, a city recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, tradition and artistry converge with wall-hanging carpets shimmering with intricate calligraphic designs and centuries-old Islamic art. These are not just rugs, but visual stories woven in silk and Pashmina. The surrounding walls are lined with framed certificates and awards earned by Sofi’s grandfather and father, both master artisans in their time.
Sofi himself embraced a challenge many believed was impossible. He revived the Pashmina carpet, a delicate and luxurious craft that had vanished from Kashmir’s weaving traditions over three centuries ago.
“I read history books about the reign of Sultan Zain-ul-Abideen,” he explains. “It was a time when Pashmina carpets were treasured symbols of status and artistry, adorning royal courts with their intricate beauty. Using organic dyes like saffron, I carefully recreate the rich hues and delicate textures that once defined these carpets. For me, it is more than a craft. It is an act of restoring memory and pride, woven thread by thread.”
Mohammad Rafiq, Sofi’s brother and a fellow carpet artisan, has also been adopting a range of digital tools beyond AI to streamline what was once a slow and labour-intensive process. With the help of his computer, he is able to complete Talim in two hours, a task that previously took several weeks.
While weaving and knotting are still done by hand, Rafiq explains that the designs and Talim codes which specify the colours for each knot and guide the binding of the carpet are now generated digitally.
Both brothers, while exploring popular AI tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini, note that the shift from handmade designing to computer applications and now AI has significantly streamlined and accelerated the pre-weaving process.
Artisans in Kashmir trace the origins of Talim, the intricate, coded script to the arrival of the Sufi saint Mir Syed Ali Hamdani. Believed to have brought with him a cohort of skilled craftsmen from Persia and Central Asia, Hamdani is credited with laying the foundation for many of the Valley’s traditional crafts. Today, senior artisans say Kashmir is the only place in the world where Talim is still used to guide the weaving of carpets, preserving a centuries-old legacy in thread and code.
While AI has yet to crack the complex task of generating Talim codes, it is already transforming other parts of the industry. For example, in 2022, the Carpet Institute in Srinagar introduced an AI-powered QR code system aimed at improving transparency and traceability in the handmade carpet trade. Developed over the course of a year, the technology allows buyers to scan a code embedded directly into the carpet and access detailed product information, including the identity of the original artisan.
More than 12,000 carpets have been tagged so far using what officials call the first AI-integrated QR labelling system of its kind in the world. The label, fused into each piece, is designed to prevent misuse and counterfeiting.
According to Mir, a senior official at the institute, the QR code system is backed by blockchain technology and monitored through a dedicated lab, which tracks each scan to ensure authenticity. “It is a step forward in protecting both the artisan and the buyer. With a single scan, buyers can access complete details about the carpet. This is a breakthrough in ensuring authenticity,” he tells Mint.
Rafiq, a 53-year-old senior artisan who began learning the craft at the age of five, tells Mint that the AI-integrated QR labelling system has significantly enhanced the brand value and identity of Kashmiri weavers.
The integration of AI into tracking systems has been a boost for an industry that employs around 50,000 people in Kashmir and generates approximately ₹500 crore in annual sales.
Mir says that since young people are already drawn to computers and the internet, AI could also be an effective way to teach them Talim. By learning the skill through digital platforms, they could build careers in the craft and help sustain the industry for the future.
Sandeep Narwani, a 42-year-old AI expert and co-founder and CEO of Narrative Research Lab, tells Mint the most promising application of AI in the carpet industry lies in the automated conversion of images into detailed carpet designs with complete Talim coding, the traditional script used by Kashmiri weavers.
“Various companies are training AI systems to analyse carpet images alongside their corresponding Talim codes, enabling machines to decipher and generate this ancient design script,” Narwani explains. “This technology can instantly convert a photograph, portrait, or design concept into a fully coded carpet pattern.”
He adds that such AI-powered systems can dramatically reduce design time from months to just a few hours, while ensuring complete pattern visibility for weavers from the beginning. “AI can also generate precise knot counts, color specifications, and mathematically accurate pattern arrangements, all essential for maintaining the high quality of Kashmiri carpets.”
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