Original Handloom Products Government of India is aware that some powerloom and textile mills products are being sold in the name of handlooms. The Government has introduced Handloom Mark to identify products woven on handlooms. Awareness creation activities are also carried out from time to time to popularize these measures. Surveillance is also taken up to check misuse of Handloom Mark labels. 53 important and famous traditional handloom products have also been registered under the Geographical Indications (GI) of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Registered users of GI products have rights under the provisions of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 to approach the respective police authorities to safeguard their interests against such illegal manufacturing/marketing of GI registered handloom products. State Handlooms & Textiles Departments have also been advised to make special efforts to provide protection to such GI registered handloom products. The above information was given by the Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani today, in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.
