What happened: GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit ends with new GI certificates and a digital handloom marketplace
The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, organised the GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit in association with the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC). The summit concluded in New Delhi and focused on strengthening collaboration across the GI ecosystem and expanding market opportunities for India’s GI-tagged handloom and handicraft products. Policymakers, overseas buyers, exporters, GI stakeholders, academia, and weaver representatives participated in the event.
The summit was inaugurated by the Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles, Shri Pabitra Margherita. The inauguration was also attended by the Secretary (Textiles) and senior officials including the Development Commissioners (Handlooms and Handicrafts) and the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM), the intellectual property authority under India’s IP system.
During the summit, the organisers presented new GI certificates for the following products: Ladakh Nambu Textile, Ladakh Pashmina Textile, Himachal Gudma, Himachal Lingchay, Jharkhand Bamboo Craft, Jharkhand Tussar Silk Saree & Fabrics, Munda Jewellery of Jharkhand, and Bareilly Terracotta. The event also featured the launch of the Digital Handloom Atlas, described by the organisers as a digital platform to showcase handloom products including GI-tagged products and to connect artisans with wider markets.
The organisers also presented GI certificates to registered proprietors and newly authorised users. Other announced highlights included a display of over 100 GI-registered handloom and handicraft products, live artisan demonstrations, technical sessions on GI registration and intellectual property rights, and sessions on promotion in domestic markets and leveraging GI handloom products in international markets. The summit additionally included a presentation on potential application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen the GI ecosystem. HEPC’s Diamond Jubilee Logo was unveiled during the event.
Background and earlier position: GI recognition and the handloom market access problem
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