Why is it in news?
- Telangana is close to securing five new Geographical Indication (GI) tags — Narayanpet jewellery making, Hyderabad pearls, Banjara tribal jewellery, Banjara needle craft, and Batik paintings — after completion of field studies and documentation.
- Additional GI applications are pending for Armoor turmeric, Nalgonda chitti dosakai, Kollapur Benishan mango, Mahadevpur tussar silk, Jagtial sesame, and Nayakpod masks.
- In the last two years, the State obtained two new GI tags — Hyderabad lac bangles (2024) and Warangal chapata chilli (2025) — taking the total to 18 GI-tagged products.
Relevance
- GS-III: Economy — Inclusive Growth, MSMEs, Rural Development
- GI-linked value addition, craft-cluster livelihoods, FPO linkages, women-led enterprises
- GS-I: Indian Culture & Heritage
- Protection of traditional crafts, tribal art, cultural identity
Telangana GI Ecosystem
- Total GI-tagged products (current): 18
- Includes: Pochampally Ikat, Adilabad Dokra, Warangal Durries, Hyderabad Haleem, etc.
- GI Authority: Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai (under DPIIT).
- Legal Basis: Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
- Ownership & Value Effects
- Protects place-linked identity & brand premium
- Ensures exclusive usage rights to local producers
- Enables authentication & traceability
- Economic Linkages
- GI clusters typically show
- Price premium: 10–30% (avg. Indian handicrafts/food GIs)
- Higher rural employment multipliers in craft-based economies
- GI clusters typically show
- Cultural Impact
- Safeguards intangible heritage, artisanal skills, tribal crafts
- Strengthens community identity & transmission of traditional knowledge
Sectoral Significance of the Proposed GI Tags
- Banjara crafts (jewellery + needlework) → protects tribal livelihood chains, encourages women-led craft enterprises.
- Hyderabad pearls → reinforces historic trade heritage, boosts export-tourism branding.
- Narayanpet jewellery making → formal recognition to regional artisanal metalwork traditions.
- Batik paintings → strengthens handloom-art crossover markets and design innovation.
Takeaways
- GI = place-specific, collective intellectual property (not individual trademark).
- Registered under DPIIT; validity: 10 years; renewable.
- Pre-eminent Telangana GIs: Pochampally Ikat, Adilabad Dokra, Warangal Durries, Hyderabad Haleem.
- Recent additions: Hyderabad lac bangles (2024), Warangal chapata chilli (2025).
- Upcoming pipeline: Armoor turmeric, Kollapur Benishan mango, Mahadevpur tussar silk, etc.
