BRANDING INDIA'S HERITAGE

At the INDIA TODAY GI Samagam, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal laid emphasis on preserving India's treasures through Geographical Indications, highlighting their role in boosting the local economy and enhancing global recognition

- -Sonal Khetarpal

There is no country richer than India when it comes to traditions, customs and heritage. We are a people blessed with immense diversity in our food, textile and handicraft. Protecting and preserving these treasures is of utmost importance, something Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal could not emphasise enough at the inaugural INDIA TODAY GI Samagam held in Delhi.

An area that nobody thought worth consideration post-Independence, the intellectual property ecosystem—including patents, copyrights, trademarks and GIs—received a strong push in the Narendra Modi-led regime since 2014. From just 200 GI-tagged products [in 2014], we have 605 today. Similarly, authorised users for GI tags have risen from 365 in 2014 to 29,000 last year. Annual patent grants have surged from 6,000 in 2014 to 100,000 in 2024. “This is the growth story of India,” Goyal said.