NABARD marks 23rd GI Day; facilitates GI applications for six Delhi products

NABARD, New Delhi Regional Office on Tuesday celebrated Geographical Indications (GI) Day with the theme “Preserving Heritage and Fostering Livelihoods”, highlighting the role of GI in preserving India’s cultural heritage while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for artisans and producer communities.

The event was chaired by Unnat P Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks, DPIIT, Government of India, and brought together Pushphas Pandey, MD, NABCONS; T.D. Sivakumar, CGM, EXIM Bank; D. Sahoo, GM and Convenor, SLBC; Natarajan Ramchandran, GM, SIDBI; senior representatives from RBI, banks and government departments, along with artisans and other stakeholders.

The programme featured the launch of a short film titled “नव सृजन” showcasing six traditional Delhi crafts being taken forward for GI recognition and the release of 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 GI and traditional products.


Addressing the gathering, Nabin Kumar Roy, Chief General Manager, NABARD, New Delhi Regional Office, highlighted the expansion of NABARD’s GI initiative in Delhi from three products identified last 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 with banks 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. Greater convergence 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 traceability and 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 role of continued institutional support, exhibitions and market linkages in strengthening traditional crafts as viable livelihoods and encouraging their transmission to younger generations.

In his address, UPandit highlighted the importance of GIs in preserving cultural heritage and creating sustainable livelihoods. He noted that 833 Indian GI products have been registered so far and emphasised the potential to achieve the target of 10,000 GIs through coordinated efforts. He also announced the forthcoming GI Portal for online filing and tracking of applications in Hindi and English, and highlighted initiatives to strengthen grassroots support for GI registration. He called for greater promotion of GI products through exhibitions, gifting and GI diplomacy, and urged stakeholders, particularly the youth, to make GI promotion a sustained commitment towards heritage preservation and livelihood enhancement.

The programme concluded with a collective resolve to move beyond GI registration towards GI-led livelihoods, enterprise development and market creation, ensuring that India’s traditional knowledge and craftsmanship translate into sustainable prosperity for the communities that preserve them.