EDII continues to strengthen its efforts towards protecting traditional crafts and promoting artisan livelihoods through Geographical Indication (GI) facilitation and intellectual property awareness initiatives. As part of these efforts, EDII hosted a two-day Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) outreach programme titled IP Yatra under the MSME Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (MSME IPFC) scheme supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India during March 13-14, 2026. The event, organized in association with the IP Promotion Outreach Foundation (IPPO), brought together more than 500 stakeholders from across India, including MSMEs, startups, innovators, artisans, academicians and industry representatives.
The event was inaugurated by Tmt. G. Latha, IAS, Commissioner, Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute – Tamil Nadu (EDII-TN), along with Mr. Jatin Trivedi, Managing Partner, Y. J. Trivedi & Co. and Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Director, MSME Development & Facilitation Office (DFO), Ahmedabad.
In her keynote address, Tmt. G. Latha, IAS, citing an example of ‘neem’ and highlighting a global patent dispute, said, “In 1995, a US-based company patented neem, although the usage of neem as an antiseptic, dates back to thousands of years, in India. Yet, since we did not have the awareness towards protecting our knowledge, somebody else took the advantage. Waking up to the significance of patents, India fought the case for almost ten years before the patent was revoked. Hence, to safeguard our knowledge and legacy, patenting is important.”
A key highlight of the event was Geographical Indication (GI) Regional Meet. On this occasion, Dr. Unnat Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM), DPIIT, Government of India, awarded the GI Certificate for ‘Surat Cut (Diamond)’ to Mr. Jagdishbhai Khunt, President of the Surat Diamond Association, along with other association members. The Surat Diamond industry plays a crucial role in the global diamond market and is known to produce around 90% of India’s polished diamonds, marking a significant milestone in recognizing the region’s craftsmanship and heritage under the GI framework.
Dr. Pandit also awarded GI Authorized User Certificates to artisans associated with traditional crafts. A total of 57 authorized users of Tangaliya Shawl represented by Lavjibhai Parmar and 34 authorized users of Mata ni Pachhedi represented by Bhanubhai Chitara, 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.
