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Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India Reports 137

Dr. Pandit also awarded GI Authorized User Certificates to artisans associated with Hon’ble Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister, Gujarat State, sent his
traditional crafts. A total of 57 authorized users of Tangaliya Shawl represented by Lavjibhai congratulatory message for Empresario and GI Certification to Surat Cut
Parmar and 34 authorized users of Mata ni Pachhedi represented by Bhanubhai Chitara, (Diamond).
were acknowledged for their contributions in preserving and promoting these unique
traditional crafts.

In his address, Dr. Pandit said, “India is home to a rich
repository of knowledge, based on years of practice in
multiple fields. It is very important to promote and protect
the ideas and the processes involved, at the right time. GI
facilitation is highly helpful in promoting the social and
economic wellbeing of our producers & artisans. I am happy
that we are actively supporting them in getting their products
GI tagged so that they could get noticed better.”

EDII has been actively supporting GI registration for traditional crafts and products. So far,
the Institute has facilitated GI tags for five crafts – Gujarat Suf Embroidery, Ahmedabad
Sodagari Block Print, Bharuch Sujani Weaving, Surat Sadeli Craft and Surat Cut (Diamond). In
addition, the Institute has initiated GI tagging for 15 crafts and agricultural products from
Gujarat under MSME IPFC, which are currently in advanced stages of processing.

To further strengthen support for artisans and producer groups, EDII has also established a
NABARD-supported Regional Geographical Indication (GI) Facilitation Centre at its campus.
The Centre is first-of-its-kind in Gujarat and has been established to support artisans,
producer groups and entrepreneurs across the state. The centre has generated cumulative
sales of more than Rs. 3 Lakh in the last six months, enabling artisans to access better
market opportunities.

Commenting on the subject of patenting and GI tagging, Dr. Sunil
Shukla, Director General, EDII, said, “Filing patents plays a crucial
role in the journey of protecting our rich knowledge and
tradition. Ideation must lead to innovation and innovation must
lead to commercialization for ideas to impact economic and
social well-being. Geographical Indication (GI) is an important
tool for protecting products.”

The IP Yatra also featured expert-led sessions aimed at enhancing awareness and
understanding about Intellectual Property Rights among entrepreneurs and innovators.
The sessions were delivered by Nilesh Pandit, Lead (IPR – Patents), Tata Consultancy
Services and Neha Verma, General Counsel, Puniska Group, who shared insights on patent
strategy, IP protection, Brand to Asset and the importance of leveraging intellectual
property for business growth.

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