The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has facilitated the Geographical Indication (GI) registration of 28 more traditional products, strengthening legal protection for India's indigenous crafts and helping create sustainable livelihood opportunities for rural artisans and producers. With the latest additions, NABARD has now supported the GI registration of 176 products across the country.
The newly registered products represent a wide spectrum of India's traditional heritage, including handicrafts, handloom textiles, bamboo crafts, metalwork, pottery, paintings and musical instruments. The registrations are expected to enhance market recognition, prevent imitation and improve the commercial value of region-specific products in domestic and international markets.
Among the latest products to receive GI registration are Nalanda Bawanbuti Saree and Fabrics and Gaya Pattharkatti Stone Craft from Bihar, Kuchai Silk Saree and Fabrics from Jharkhand, Ba Shilp (Bamboo Craft) and Bihu Pepa from Assam, Himachal Wood Carving Craft, and Khajuraho Metal Craft from Madhya Pradesh, along with several other traditional products from across the country.
NABARD Chairman Dr. Shaji Krishnan V. said GI registration serves as an effective tool for protecting traditional knowledge, promoting local entrepreneurship and generating value for rural producers. He said the institution would continue strengthening GI-based value chains through producer collectivisation, skill development, enterprise promotion, branding, market linkages and export facilitation to ensure that India's traditional heritage translates into sustainable economic opportunities.
According to NABARD, its GI-based interventions have connected more than 13,000 artisans and producers with higher-value domestic markets, while GI value chains and associated enterprises supported by the institution have generated over 50,000 direct employment opportunities.
To further strengthen production and marketing, 14 Rural Enterprise Producer Organisations (REPOs) are currently engaged in promoting GI products across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka and Gujarat.
NABARD has also expanded institutional support for GI products by establishing GI Facilitation Centres at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad; Bihar Agricultural University; and the Madurai Agri Business Incubation Forum (MABIF) in Tamil Nadu. These centres assist artisans and producer groups with GI registration as well as post-registration activities, including branding, commercialization and market development.
In Karnataka, NABARD has supported the establishment of a dedicated GI Store at Aihole to showcase and market GI-certified products. The institution is also investing in branding, quality improvement, digital commerce, market linkages and institutional capacity building to help artisans secure premium prices and expand access to domestic and export markets.
NABARD said these initiatives are aimed at preserving India's rich cultural heritage while making traditional products commercially viable, thereby creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities and enhancing the global visibility of India's unique geographical products.