NABARD has secured GI registration for 28 additional traditional Indian products, elevating its total support to 176 GI-tagged items and bolstering rural artisans’ livelihoods through heritage protection and enhanced market access.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has facilitated the Geographical Indication (GI) registration of 28 more traditional products, strengthening legal safeguards for India’s diverse indigenous crafts. This brings NABARD’s cumulative support to 176 successfully GI-tagged products nationwide.

GI tags, granted under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, certify that a product’s unique qualities or reputation stem from its specific geographical origin. This protection prevents imitation, ensures authenticity, and enables producers to command premium prices in domestic and international markets.

According to NABARD Chairman Dr. Shaji Krishnan V., GI registration acts as a powerful tool for safeguarding traditional knowledge, fostering local entrepreneurship, and delivering economic value to rural producers. NABARD plans to further strengthen GI value chains via producer collectivization, skill development, branding, and export facilitation.

Diverse New Additions from Across India

The latest batch spans handicrafts, handloom textiles, bamboo crafts, metalwork, pottery, paintings, and musical instruments from multiple states. Notable examples include:

• Bihar: Nalanda Bawanbuti Saree and Fabrics, Gaya Pattharkatti Stone Craft.
• Jharkhand: Kuchai Silk Saree and Fabrics.
• Assam: Ba Shilp (Bamboo Craft), Bihu Pepa (a traditional musical instrument), along with others like Karbi Anglong Handloom Products and Deuri Handloom Products.
• Madhya Pradesh: Himachal Wood Carving Craft (noted in reports), Khajuraho Metal Craft.
• Products from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and more.

These registrations, covering eight states, highlight India’s cultural mosaic – from Assam’s tribal bamboo artistry and Bihu instruments to Bihar’s intricate stone carvings and silk weaves.

NABARD has supported over 538 GI products in total, with 176 now registered. This aligns with broader government efforts to expand India’s GI portfolio, which stands at over 600 registered tags as of recent counts.

Impact on Livelihoods and Rural Economy

NABARD’s GI interventions have connected more than 13,000 artisans and producers to higher-value markets, generating over 50,000 direct employment opportunities through associated value chains and enterprises.

Fourteen Rural Enterprise Producer Organisations (REPOs) are actively promoting GI products in states including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, and Gujarat. These collectives help artisans organize, improve quality, and access markets.

GI tags offer multiple benefits: legal protection against counterfeiting, premium pricing (often 20-30 per cent higher or more), reduced dependence on middlemen, and boosted exports. For rural women artisans, this can translate into financial independence and family support. Studies and reports indicate GI-tagged products enhance cultural preservation while driving sustainable rural development.

Institutional Support and Infrastructure Development

NABARD has established GI Facilitation Centres at key institutions like the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) in Ahmedabad, Bihar Agricultural University, and the Madurai Agri Business Incubation Forum (MABIF) in Tamil Nadu. These centres aid in registration, branding, commercialisation, and market development.

In Karnataka, a dedicated GI Store at Aihole showcases and markets certified products. NABARD is also investing in quality enhancement, digital commerce, and capacity building to help artisans secure better prices and expand reach.

Post-registration activities, such as authorizing users and renewal support, ensure long-term viability. NABARD has sanctioned projects registering thousands of producers as authorized users, granting them exclusive rights to the GI.

Broader Context and Future Outlook

India’s GI ecosystem has grown significantly, from a handful in the early 2000s to over 600 today, encompassing agricultural goods, handicrafts, and manufactured items. NABARD’s efforts contribute to the government’s vision of reaching 10,000 GI tags by 2030.

Exports of GI products, such as Karnataka’s horticultural produce, Bihar’s Mithila Makhana, and Chhattisgarh’s medicinal items, demonstrate growing global demand. GI tags facilitate international trade by protecting reputations abroad under WTO frameworks.

Challenges remain, including awareness gaps, supply chain inefficiencies, and ensuring equitable benefit distribution to grassroots artisans. However, NABARD’s holistic approach – combining registration with enterprise support – positions these initiatives for greater impact.

Dr. Shaji Krishnan V. emphasised that these efforts preserve cultural heritage while making traditional products commercially viable, enhancing global visibility for India’s unique offerings.

As India celebrates its rich diversity, NABARD’s push for GI registrations not only safeguards centuries-old traditions but also fuels economic empowerment in rural heartlands, turning cultural assets into sustainable livelihoods.