Lieutenant Governor, RK Mathur reviewed the work performance of the Department of Industries and Commerce on September 17. 

Director DIC gave a detailed presentation covering the various targeted interventions of the department and the progress made in the centrally sponsored schemes. 
 
Secretary DIC, Saugat Biswas apprised the Lt. Governor of the collaborations with premier institutions such as the National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Central Leather Research Institute, and Khadi & Village Industries Commission in the fields of capacity building, technology interventions, design, development, and diversification for the handloom and handicraft artisans of Ladakh. He also informed that DIC is entering into an agreement with the Central Wool Research Association for setting up a wool quality testing lab which will help the Administration in implementing the GI certification for pashmina and other fibers.
 
 Lt. Governor Mathur laid special emphasis on the developments made in the food processing sector, particularly Apricot and Sea Buckthorn while appreciating the efforts made by the department for facilitating the export of fresh apricots to Dubai for the first time. 
 
He suggested the department conducts a baseline survey for apricot, sea buckthorn, pashmina, and other produce of Ladakh based on which targeted interventions can be made by the department.
 
 LG Mathur desired that the interventions in the pashmina sector or the food processing sector should aim at targeting higher returns to the producers in the field of horticulture, goat rearers of Changthang, the spinners and weavers of various handloom products, and artisans of the handicraft sector to take forward the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister for doubling the income of the farmers.
 
Stating that the youth of Ladakh has a huge potential of excelling in various ventures involving the primary sector, LG Mathur suggested that the department may work towards providing the required handholding to the potential entrepreneurs.
 
Further, the Lt. Governor urged the Department to expedite the Industrial Policy of Ladakh as well as the new Industrial Development Scheme of the DPIIT, GoI to promote industrial growth at the earliest. He also highlighted the need to set up a Foreign Post Office and Customs Office in Ladakh to support exports, particularly of the Ladakh Pashmina products.
 
Intending to provide the local producers with a captive market, LG Mathur instructed the department to move a proposal for mandating the use of locally made handmade stationery products in the Government offices across the Union Territory.