Three indigenous products from Arunachal Pradesh – Khamti rice, yak churpi and Tangsa textile – have been granted the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the GI Registry, Chennai.
The GI registration is being supported by the NABARD or the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development for the indigenous products of Arunachal.
NABARD has extended financial assistance for GI registration of 18 indigenous products.
A GI tag is a form of intellectual property protection used to identify products that originate from a specific geographical region and possess unique qualities, characteristics, or reputation due to that origin. When an indigenous item is granted a GI tag, it means that the product is recognized as originating from a particular region and is protected from unauthorized use of its name or branding by producers outside that region.
The GI tag also helps consumers identify and trust the authenticity and quality of indigenous products, and it also provides economic benefits to the producers in the designated geographical area by promoting their products and preserving traditional knowledge and heritage associated with those items.
It is important to ensure that there are no disputes in the rush to get recognition. It is also equally important that there is quality enhancement or at least continuity of the quality of products that got it the GI tag.