The Ministry of Textiles will organise the ‘GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit’ in New Delhi on August 5 to promote India’s Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged handloom and handicraft products and strengthen their presence in domestic and international markets.
The summit, being organised by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) in association with the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC), will be held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre.
Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, will inaugurate the event. Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao will attend as the Guest of Honour. The event will also be attended by Development Commissioner (Handlooms) M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Amrit Raj and Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Unnat P. Pandit.
The summit aims to promote GI-tagged handloom and handicraft products while fostering collaboration among stakeholders in the GI ecosystem. It will bring together overseas buyers from around 10 countries, exporters, multinational corporations, registered proprietors of GI products, government officials and representatives from textile brands, retail chains, e-commerce platforms, academia and industry.
More than 100 GI-registered handloom and handicraft products from across the country will be displayed during the event. Visitors will also be able to experience thematic exhibits on India’s weaving traditions along with live demonstrations of handloom weaving and handicraft techniques.
During the inaugural session, GI certificates will be presented to registered proprietors and newly authorised users. The Ministry will also launch the ‘Digital Handloom Atlas’, a digital platform aimed at showcasing India’s handloom products, including GI-tagged products, and connecting artisans with global markets. The Diamond Jubilee logo of the Handloom Export Promotion Council will also be unveiled.
The summit will feature a presentation by experts from IIT Madras on the use of artificial intelligence to strengthen the GI ecosystem. Technical sessions will focus on GI registration and intellectual property rights, promotion of GI products in the domestic market, and strategies to expand the global reach of GI-tagged handloom products.
According to the Ministry, the summit is expected to provide a platform for collaboration among policymakers, overseas buyers, exporters, industry experts, intellectual property professionals, academia, e-commerce platforms and other stakeholders working to promote India’s GI products.