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National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is in the process of registering the well-known traditional crafts of the country’s north-eastern States under the Geographical Indication (GI) Act. According to NIFT Director Bibekananda Banerjee, NIFT has identified 18 such crafts, including the Naga shawl, bamboo and cane and bell-metal products, among others, to be filed under the GI Act.
The registration ensures that such products (like Champagne) are manufactured only in a specific geographical region. And that similar products manufactured in any other part of the world cannot be sold as a Naga shawl or an Assamese Gamosa (towel).
“We have identified two or three crafts from each of the seven north-eastern States. We are in the process of filing these crafts under GI,” Banerjee told Business Line on the sidelines of an international seminar on fashion organised by the National Institute of Fashion Technology, in association with Confederation of Indian Industry, here.
NIFT has completed the documentation for all the major crafts after visiting the geographical clusters and meeting the artisans and other stakeholders to document the history of these arts.The patent would prevent mass copying of these crafts and fetch better prices for the artisans and units involved in such trade.
“Filing of GI is a time-consuming process; so, it is difficult to predict a timeline as to when this will happen,” said Banerjee.
The fashion and apparel industry in India should adopt the cluster formation approach for skill development and improve the marketability of products.
“Though the opportunity for growth is huge, we need to proceed cautiously by mapping the present clusters and creation of cluster levels, faster development of infrastructure and creation of network,” K. Rangarajan, professor and head, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Kolkata, said.
NIFT, on its part, is working with several artisan groups to further skill development and put in place supply chain management, Banerjee said.
The institute is working in several districts of West Bengal including Bankura (baluchari), Murshidabad, Malda and Jhargram (for silk and leather crafts) and Shantiniketan in the Birbhum district (for batik and leather crafts). This apart, it is working with self-help groups in the north-eastern States, he said.
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