Promotion & market linkage for banaras saree

27 Apr '10

6 min read

The Textiles Committee, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India in collaboration with UNCTAD India, New Delhi and Government of Uttar Pradesh and Partners from Varanasi organised a workshop on “Protecting Indications and Promoting Brand: Strategic Interventions for Development of Banaras Brocades and Sarees”.

The workshop was organised under the UNCTAD – DFID – Ministry of Commerce and Industry project “Strategies and Preparedness for the Trade & Globalisation in the Textiles & Clothing Sector of India”. The main objectives were to educate producers as well as consumers about Geographical Indications (GI) and how the registration of the product will benefit more than 2.50 lakhs producers.

The workshop also helped in capacity building of the stakeholders on containment of infringement and understanding the components of the Post GI Initiatives to be taken for the product. The occasion was used to felicitate the nine applicants of the product, which included producers, exporters, traders and civil society organisation besides the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

These registered proprietors have been handed over the certificate of registration as well. In the workshop, the Model Manual for Post-GI Initiatives and the study and documentation report of the Banaras Brocades and Sarees prepared and published by the Textiles Committee were released for the use of the stakeholders.

The meeting was inaugurated by Shri A.K. Upadhyay, Divisional Commissioner, Varanasi, Government of Uttar Pradesh as Chief Guest while Prof Avadh Ram, Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, addressed the gathering as Guest of Honour. The Deputy Co-coordinator, UNCTAD India, New Delhi Shri Abhijit Das, delivered Keynote Address.

Dr. Rashmi Banga, Senior Economist, UNCTAD India addressed the gathering as Special Guest. Dr. P Nayak, Director (Market Research), Textiles Committee coordinated the workshop. The officers of the Textiles Committee Shri T K Rout and Shri Prakash Singh organised the workshop and provided explanation to the participants.

More than 563 representatives of weavers and handloom operators from the six districts took part in the workshop. It may be mentioned here that for the GI Registration as many as nine organisations including Banaras Bunkar Samiti, Human Welfare Association, Joint Director, Industries (Eastern Zone), Director of Handlooms and Textiles, Uttar Pradesh Handloom Fabrics Marketing Cooperative Federation, Eastern UP Exporters Association, Banarasi Vastra Udyog Sangh, Banaras Hath Kargha Vikas Samiti and Adarsh Silk Bunkar Sahkari Samiti had applied to the Chennai based Geographical Indication Registry in July 2007. And, the world famous Banaras Brocade and Sarees got GI status on September 4, 2009.

Dr. P. Nayak in his welcome address briefly elaborated the details of the interventions taken up under the project for Banaras Brocades and Sarees for GI Registration and outlined the post GI initiatives to be taken up for brand promotion and market linkage of the product including containment of infringement. It is expected that the successful initiative will lead to inclusive growth of the product and also the artisan communities associated with it.

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