Product scope & HS codes

• Kullu Shawls (handwoven) — typically covered under HS 6214 “Shawls, scarves, mufflers…”, with the wool/fine-animal-hair subset HS 6214.20 (India tariff line 62142010: “Shawls of wool or fine animal hair”)
• Woollen Blankets & Travelling Rugs — HS 6301, with HS 6301.20 for “of wool or fine animal hair.”
  

India export snapshot

Shawls (HS 6214, all fibres): India exported ~US$306 million in 2023. Within this, the wool/fine-animal-hair subset (HS 6214.20) accounted for ~0.018% of India’s overall exports and ~26% of India’s HS 6214 basket, indicating a meaningful wool share inside the shawl category. Top destinations for India’s 6214.20 include multiple EU and non-EU markets.

Blankets (HS 6301, all fibres): India exported ~US$201 million in 2023. Within that, wool/fine-hair blankets (HS 6301.20) were about US$7.77 million (≈3.86% of India’s 6301 exports) in 2023.

What makes these specific to India & the producing regions

Kullu Shawls (Himachal Pradesh)

• GI protection & origin: “Kullu Shawl” is a registered Geographical Indication (GI No. 19; 10 Dec 2004) under India’s GI Act, protecting authentic production from the Kullu Valley.
  
• Design & make: Recognised for plain bodies with bold, multicolour geometric borders (often twill weave); motifs in red, magenta, yellow, green, blue etc., with natural body shades (white/grey/black/brown).
  
• Fibres: Traditionally local sheep wool; now also merino, angora and pashmina blends depending on price points and target markets.
  
• Scale & cluster: Kullu is an ODOP (One District One Product) for Himachal; a state export action plan reports ~961,928 shawls produced annually in Kullu district—showing cluster depth and steady capacity.
  
• Authenticity marks: Producers commonly use the Handloom Mark and may seek India Handloom Brand (IHB)—both government-backed schemes signalling handwoven origin and quality.
  

Strength for buyers: Protected origin (GI), recognisable aesthetic, and a mature cooperative/cluster ecosystem that can supply consistent volume with traceable handloom provenance.

Woollen Blankets (Panipat, Haryana + other hubs)

• India’s blanket hub: Panipat is the country’s best-known blanket manufacturing and wool recycling centre; industry profiles note it accounts for ~three-fourths of India’s blanket production, with a large segment in cost-competitive recycled (shoddy) wool blankets.
  
• Relief/aid blankets: Studies highlight Panipat’s dominance in shoddy-wool “relief blankets” procured by aid agencies for disaster relief worldwide—an indicator of massive scale and price competitiveness
  
• Cluster infrastructure: Multiple government-commissioned cluster DPRs (EY for Haryana) detail common-facility centres (CFCs) and supply-chain capabilities for home textiles and blankets.
  

Strength for buyers: High-volume capacity, proven cost structures (esp. recycled wool), and established procurement track record for institutional buyers (relief, government tenders).

Quality & compliance benchmarks you can require

For Kullu Shawls (handwoven; wool/wool blends)

• Indian standards (BIS):
  
  • IS 1267:1992 (Handloom worsted rafal shawls & lohis) — construction, mass and breaking-load requirements across varieties.
    
  • IS 12812:1989 (Worsted shawls — general specs).
    
• Authenticity/quality schemes:
  
  • Handloom Mark (Textiles Committee): verifies handloom origin.
    
  • India Handloom Brand (IHB): brand standard that vets raw materials, weaving, processing and social/environmental compliance; product-wise quality parameters and SOPs available.
    

Typical test expectations (for export programs): fibre composition (per contract/BIS), colour fastness (to washing, rubbing, perspiration, light), dimensional stability, pilling/abrasion—these are commonly specified in IHB manuals/brand documentation and industry practice.

For Woollen Blankets

• Indian standards (BIS) (spec to wool/shoddy & handloom):
  
  • IS 894:2023 (Handloom wool blankets, brick red) — active standard; sets dimensions/requirements for a benchmark “brick red” spec (often referenced for government supply).
    
  • IS 2157:1991 (Handloom shoddy woollen blankets).
    
  • IS 14292:1995 (Shoddy woollen barrack blankets) — requires ≥65% wool content (±3% tolerance) and labelling; allows BIS Standard Mark when licensed.
    

Buyer note: these BIS specs give clear tables for mass/size/breaking-load and minimum wool content (for shoddy categories), helpful when drafting tenders or QC sheets

Market-entry compliance (EU example)

• EU Textile Labelling (Reg. 1007/2011) — mandatory fibre-content labelling rules; special wording for “pure”/“virgin wool” and items with non-textile parts of animal origin.
  
• REACH Annex XVII — ensure restricted azo dyes (and other RSL items) are absent or below limits for textile articles in skin contact.

Specs, materials & finish (at a glance)

Item	Typical materials	Construction/finish cues	Authenticity/labels
Kullu Shawl	Local sheep wool; merino/angora/pashmina blends	Plain field with geometric multicolour borders; twill/plain weaves; handloom	GI: Kullu Shawl; Handloom Mark; optional IHB for premium lines
Wool Blanket (Panipat)	Wool or recycled shoddy wool blends; sometimes with synthetics for cost & durability	Plain, raised/“milled” finishes; weights & sizes per BIS spec (e.g., IS 14292, IS 2157)	BIS license (optional) for relevant blanket IS codes; institutional specs common

Procurement takeaways

• For GI-authentic Kullu shawls: Source from Kullu district cooperatives/authorized GI users, insist on Handloom Mark/IHB tagged lots, and reference IS 1267/IS 12812 in contracts for construction and strength.
  
• For volume blankets: For humanitarian/institutional buys, Panipat suppliers can meet large MOQs to BIS (e.g., IS 14292 barrack blankets ≥65% wool) with proven export history in the relief segment.
  
• Labelling & RSL: If shipping to the EU/UK, lock in 1007/2011 fibre labels and REACH Annex XVII compliance (azo dyes etc.) in your POs and test plans.