Salem Silver Anklets Struggle to Prove Antiquity, Await GI Tag

Despite an application filed nearly three years ago, Salem's silver anklets are still awaiting a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

- SNEHA SIVASHANMUGAM @ Salem

The delay is attributed to a lack of documentation needed to establish the craft's antiquity and uniqueness. This is a significant hurdle, although the city is one of India's largest hubs for manufacture of silver anklets.

Manufacturers say that while the craft has been practiced for generations, most units are small-scale and operated by artisans without formal education. C Sri Anandarajan, president of the Salem District Kolusu Manufacturers Kaivinai Sangam, notes, "Proper documentation of manufacture and sales does not exist because our business has never been formally recorded. The GI registry requires evidence that the product has existed in a specific geography for at least 25 years."