NABARD, New Delhi Regional Office celebrated Geographical Indications (GI) Day with the theme “Preserving Heritage and Fostering Livelihoods”, highlighting the role of GI in preserving India’s culturalheritage while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for artisans and producer communities.
The event was chaired by Professor (Dr.) Unnat P Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, DPIIT, Government of India, and brought together Shri Pushphas Pandey, MD, NABCONS;Shri T.D. Sivakumar, CGM, EXIM Bank; Shri D. Sahoo, GM and Convenor, SLBC; Shri Natarajan Ramchandran, GM, SIDBI; senior representatives from RBI, banks and government departments, along with artisans and other stakeholders. The programme featured the launchof a short film titled “नव सृजन” showcasing six traditional Delhi crafts being taken forward for GI recognition and the releaseof a Coffee Table Book documenting NABARD’s GI journey. The event also encompasses a GI Bazar at NABARD, New Delhi Regional Office, featuring 22 GI stalls by artisans from Delhi and states including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, providing a platform for showcasing and marketing GIand traditional products.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Nabin Kumar Roy, Chief General Manager, NABARD, New Delhi Regional Office, highlighted the expansion of NABARD’s GI initiative in Delhi from three products identifiedlast year to nine products currently being taken forward for GI recognition. He emphasised that GI certification is only the beginning and underlined the need for a complete ecosystem covering institutional finance, skill enhancement, branding and market access.Highlighting NABARD’s focus on heritage financing, he stressed the need to connect financial enablers such as the Artisan Credit Card and PM Vishwakarma with artisans on the ground. He also highlighted the importance of peer learning and collaboration withbanks and other institutions to ensure better markets, fair value and sustainable livelihoods for artisans.
The deliberations emphasised that GI registration must be followed by authorised-user registration, quality improvement, branding, packaging, digital marketing, logistics and market linkages. Greaterconvergence among NABARD, banks, SIDBI, EXIM Bank, government agencies and producer communities was identified as critical to taking GI products from local markets to national and international platforms. Discussions also highlighted the potential of traceabilityand QR-based authentication in strengthening consumer confidence and enhancing the value of GI products.
Artisans shared their experiences and highlighted the need for sustained market access, institutional finance, improved packaging and export opportunities. Their experiences underscored the roleof continued institutional support, exhibitions and market linkages in strengthening traditional crafts as viable livelihoods and encouraging their transmission to younger generations.
