NABARD Celebrates GI Day with Focus on Heritage and Livelihoods

On September 16, 2026, the New Delhi Regional Office of NABARD celebrated the 23rd Geographical Indications (GI) Day, focusing on 'Preserving Heritage and Fostering Livelihoods'. This event highlighted the significance of GI in safeguarding India’s cultural heritage while generating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local artisans and producer communities. The celebration featured the premiere of a short film titled 'Nav Srijan', showcasing six traditional crafts from Delhi that are being pursued for GI recognition. A coffee table book documenting NABARD’s journey with GIs was also released, emphasizing its commitment to heritage preservation.

The event included a GI Bazar at NABARD's New Delhi office, where 22 stalls were set up by artisans from Delhi and other states, including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. This bazar served as a platform for artisans to showcase and market their GI and traditional products. During discussions, participants emphasized that GI registration must be complemented by further steps such as authorized-user registration, quality enhancement, and effective branding and packaging. The importance of digital marketing, logistics, and market linkages was also highlighted to help elevate GI products from local to international markets.

Key stakeholders from various sectors discussed the need for greater collaboration among NABARD, banks, SIDBI, EXIM Bank, and government agencies to successfully transition GI products into broader markets. Artisans shared their experiences, pointing out the necessity for sustained market access, improved packaging, and enhanced export opportunities. They underscored the importance of continued institutional support, participation in exhibitions, and establishing market connections to ensure traditional crafts remain viable livelihoods and are passed down to future generations.

Nabin Kumar Roy, Chief General Manager of NABARD's New Delhi Regional Office, spoke about the expansion of NABARD’s GI initiative in Delhi, which has grown from three products last year to nine products currently being pursued for GI recognition. He noted that obtaining GI certification is just the starting point and stressed the need for a comprehensive ecosystem that includes institutional finance, skill development, branding, and market access. Roy highlighted NABARD’s focus on heritage financing and the importance of connecting financial enablers, such as the Artisan Credit Card and PM Vishwakarma, to artisans.

Unnat P Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks at the DPIIT, Government of India, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the role of GIs in cultural preservation and sustainable livelihoods. He announced that 833 Indian GI products have been registered to date and expressed confidence in achieving a target of 10,000 GIs through coordinated efforts. Pandit introduced the forthcoming GI Portal for online application filing and tracking in both Hindi and English, urging stakeholders, particularly the youth, to commit to promoting GIs as a means of supporting heritage preservation and enhancing livelihoods.