"Protection of GI has, over the years, emerged as one of the most contentious Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues in the realm of the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS). Which is why, the Ministry of Textiles has come out with 5,000 products for GI registration in India which is an imperative step to save the dying art of India.
Out of which almost seven textile products have been identified for GI registration in Gujarat," said R M Sankar, principal scientific officer at Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA).
The crafts are getting registered through the assistance of institutes like ATIRA and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar. While ATIRA is acting as a catalyst for bringing Bandhani industry of Jamanagar under GI system, NIFT has been assisting craftsmen of Surendranagar to register Tangaliya craft of weaving.
Once registered, the crafts would get an international recognition which could take them into the fashion industry in Paris and London, said Sankar, adding that the production of Bandhani, which is estimated to be around 60,000 units per annum, could rise up by four times post-GI registration.
Around 75,000 traders and producers are involved in Bandhni industry, while about one lakh females are involved in tying activity in Jamnagar.
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Registration of Tangaliya, on the other hand, is being carried out by a Chennai-based attorney through NIFT. Unlike embroidery which is a post-loom process of embedding design on the fabric, Tangaliya is a loom process wherein craftsmen hand weave designs in the form of tiny dots at the time of weaving.
To further facilitate sustenance of Tangaliya and other dying arts like Single Ikat, Khadi, Sand Stone and Brass, the 2000-odd artisans and crafsmen have formed around 174 self help groups (SHGs) with the help of the institute, said Nitesh Vyas, director of NIFT, Gandhinagar.
Besides creating SHGs, the artisans have also set up a federation titled Surendranagar Vankar Samaj (SUVAS). Speaking about the importance of having a federation of artisans, Vyas said, "Setting up of a federation and GI registration are part of the SGSY project which aims at reviving traditional crafts and making them commercially viable.
NIFT will be involved in this project with the artisans and craftsmen for about two and a half years. But once the project gets over, it is important to sustain the crafts of the artisans along with its collective marketing, for which they are being trained at our various centres."
The crafts are marketed and promoted through exhibitions and fairs, display at Gram Haat in Ahmedabad, NIFT's 'iM' store in New Delhi and other stores like Fab India, Vanilla, Harita Kapur, and 360 degrees.
GI registration has already been sucessfully done for 'Pochampally Ikat' of Hyderabad, 'Kanchipuram' silk sarees and 'Rumal' and other silk sarees of Banaras. Due to the registration Pochampally sales have gone up by almost 40 per cent while the production went up by three crore units per month .
On getting an international recognition, the Pochampally industry got an order for sarees from Air India and Indian Airlines for their air-hostesses, said Sankar.