India: GI Registration and the Textile Industry

The success of getting the Geographical Indication Registration for 'Pochampally Ikat' has motivated the Government of India and, more specifically the Union Textile Ministry to request the Andhra Pradesh Textiles Development Committee (APTDC) to identify all handloom products, which can be registered under the system. APTDC would also be given a commission for carrying out a countrywide survey to locate such goods. A national programme for preparing the textile industry for globalization in the WTO regime has been initiated by the Textile Committee.

GI is a part of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement signed under the WTO framework. Geographical Indications of Goods are defined as that aspect of industrial property which refer to the geographical indication referring to a country or to a place situated therein as being the country or place of origin of that product. Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to the fact of its origin in that defined geographical locality, region or country. The absence of such a right being given can lead to a situation wherein the commercial benefits which should have vested in a country is being "hijacked" by some other country.

Items for which GI registration was applied in 2005 (awaiting registration) include the famous Kancheepuram Silk sarees and rumal (handkerchief) and equally famous Banarasi Silk Sarees from Uttar Pradesh. Mysore Silk Sarees, made-ups, ties and yarn have already got their registration.

Some Textile industry applications that have been applied for are:

Solapur Chaddar
Solapur Terry Towel
Kotpad Handloom Fabric
Mysore Silk
Kota Doria
Bhavani Jamakkalam
Kullu Shawl
Orissa Ikat

As per the Geographical Indications Journal No. 8 –11 dated September 1, 2005, 36 applications have been filed and are pending registration.

India geographically is having a rich heritage of products that could identify the origin of each such product, which are unique to each place, so much so that a similar product cannot be obtained from any other region, even within the country itself. The 36 applications are just scratching the surface of a deluge of GI’s still in the pipeline.

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