India's GI-tagged handloom, handicraft products to be showcased at Delhi summit
New Delhi, Aug 2
To promote India's rich Geographical Indication handloom and handicraft products and strengthen their position in domestic and international markets, the Office of the Development Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, in association with the Handloom Export Promotion Council, will organise the "GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit‟ on Wednesday at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre here, an official statement said.
The summit aims to promote India's GI-tagged handloom and handicraft products and facilitate collaboration among stakeholders across the GI ecosystem. It will bring together overseas buyers from about 10 countries, exporters and multinational corporations (MNCs) from across India, registered proprietors of GI products, officials from Central and state government departments, and experts from leading textile brands, retail chains, e-commerce platforms, academia and industry.
The summit will be inaugurated by Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles Pabitra Margherita as the Chief Guest with Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao as the guest of honour.
A key feature of the summit will be the display of more than 100 GI-registered handloom and handicraft products from across the country. The event will also feature thematic displays showcasing India's diverse weaving traditions and live demonstrations of handloom weaving and handicrafts.
During the inaugural session, GI certificates will be presented to registered proprietors and new authorised users. The summit will also witness the launch of the Digital Handloom Atlas - "One Platform. Endless Markets", a comprehensive digital platform designed to showcase India's handloom products, including GI products, and connect artisans with global markets. The Diamond Jubilee Logo of the HEPC will also be unveiled on the occasion.
The programme will also include a special presentation by experts from IIT Madras on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for strengthening the GI ecosystem. Technical sessions during the summit will deliberate on GI Registration & Intellectual Property Rights, promotion of GI products in the domestic market, and strategies for leveraging GI handloom products in international markets.
The summit will bring together a distinguished gathering of overseas buyers, exporters, leading textile and retail brands, multinational corporations (MNCs), e-commerce platforms, GI authorised users, policymakers, Government officials, industry experts, intellectual property professionals and academia, and is expected to serve as an important platform for collaboration among stakeholders, the statement added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who grew up watching my grandmother weave on her handloom in Kanchipuram, this makes me so proud. The Digital Handloom Atlas sounds like a game-changer - connecting our rural artisans directly with global markets will cut out the middlemen who have been exploiting them for generations. Truly bahut achha initiative!
Good initiative, but I wish they would focus more on the ground reality. Many of our handloom weavers are still struggling to make ends meet, and sometimes I wonder if these summits really benefit the actual artisans or just the exporters and big brands. Would love to see more transparency in how GI benefits reach the primary producers.
Interesting to see India leveraging its GI products on the global stage. I've visited India a few times for work and the craftsmanship is truly unmatched, especially the Banarasi silks and Pashmina shawls. The AI integration from IIT Madras mentioned here could really help authenticate products and prevent counterfeits - smart move!
I love that they're showcasing 100+ GI-tagged products from across India - from Chanderi to Mysore Silk, from Blue Pottery to Madhubani paintings. These crafts are our heritage and it's heartening to see the government finally waking up to their potential. Hope the overseas buyers appreciate the effort that goes into making each piece. 🇮🇳
The handloom sector employs over 4.3 million people in our country, mostly in rural areas. Events like this are crucial to prevent these traditional skills from dying out. My only suggestion would be to also promote GI products more aggressively through e-commerce platforms at affordable prices in the domestic market, so we Indians also buy more local and support our artisans.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.